Dazzling holiday lights strung over trees, rooftops, gutters and rhododendrons take us back to childhood. Brightly colored lights illuminate the way for evening walks searching the neighborhood for spectacular light shows, or the more modest displays well done.
Holiday lights are changing rapidly, however. The old-fashioned incandescent C9ers that once brightened our lives are fading like the aging Polaroid photos of holidays past.
These days, lights are more stylish, durable and cooler. Not only do LEDs come in a greater variety of shapes and sizes, the technology allows more flexibility in design that means a wider selection of bulb sizes, shapes and features than incandescent bulbs ever offered.
The LED (light-emitting diode) holiday lights come in the traditional C9, C7 and mini bulb sizes, as well as other shaped bulbs. Holiday strings are available in a constellation of shapes, including lengths of cascading tubes, nets, runners woven into garlands and many more. Area stores are already displaying LED configurations looking like snowflakes, icicles and candy canes.
These popular styles include the light tubes using cascading diodes that simulate falling snow or melting icicles. Color-changing bulbs can blink red and green or morph for creative effects. Dimmable LED bulbs can enhance displays of animated lights. All come in a range of bulb sizes.
Don’t want to toss out your “classic” strings of holiday lights just yet? It’s possible to phase out your old incandescent bulbs by replacing those burned out with LED equivalents over the next few seasons. However, consider three things. The colors of the two won’t match, because LEDs emit light at a different frequency. Also, LEDs are much less expensive to operate. Then, there’s the heat.
Although retrofitting your C7 or C9 strings by alternating energy-saving LEDs along the string is feasible, remember LEDs run cooler, because most of the energy LEDs use converts into to light not heat. So they’re safer.
LED bulbs are more efficient. Each burns less than a watt. A classic holiday C9 bulb burns about 8 or 9 watts, the C7 6 to 8 watts and the mini up to 1 watt. A string of incandescent C9 bulbs running 300 hours will cost about $11, while the same size LED string will cost 15 cents.
Incandescent bulbs convert 10 percent of energy they use into light and the remainder into heat. That’s because a hot element produces their light. Their excess heat can cause a fire by direct contact with flammable items or when a broken bulb exposes the hot element.
LED holiday bulbs last longer and are more durable. Even holiday-light bumblers like Clark Griswold won’t have to worry about broken bulbs or fires started by hot bulbs.
LEDs burn up to 50,000 hours while incandescent burn out in less than 3,000 hours. Even if a klutzy spouse or roommate should step on an LED string, their plastic encasements are less likely to break than a glass bulb.
When shopping for outdoor or indoor LED holiday lights look for the Energy Star label, which guarantees that the lights are independently tested to meet electrical requirements, have passed a 1,000-hour continuous test, and carry a three-year warranty. LED strings or bulbs labeled “for outdoor use” are subjected to testing in outdoor conditions. For safety outside, use an extension cord rated for outside use by the Underwriters Laboratory for lighting.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
