Christmas Lights Advice

I’ve got a wooden fence…. how do I hang Christmas lights on it?

I get this question from time to time and I’m happy to report that there is a clip designed specifically for this application – and it has a zippy name… Surface Mount Clip.

Surface Mount Clips next to a Quarter for Scale

Each clip is set in a little “S” and technically, you’d need to use one for each C7 or C9 bulb that you want to snap into attention along your fence or flat surface. You run the wire on each side of the bulb socket under a side of the S and a little lip catches it and holds it in place. If you have a terribly irregular surface that may affect how snugly the wire is held. The socket is positioned so that the bulb is perpendicular to the flat surface of the clip.

So passers-by will see and neat and orderly row of lights all pointing right at them. (They’ll all be envious – I’m just sayin’.)

I hope you are planning your Christmas light display now – don’t forget how you are going to install your lights.

Merry Christmas,

Shellie Gardner
Owner/Operator
Christmas Light Source, a great place to find all sorts of Christmas Lights all year long.
Surface Mount Clips

If you have an entire set of mini lights go out, more than likely, you’ve blown a fuse. This happens when you run too many mini lights sets in series.

Check your mini lights specifications to see what the manufacturer recommends for maximum number of lights in series, follow those guidelines, replace your fuses and hopefully, you’ll be back in business.

The other alternative problem might be an unseated bulb. So, if your fuses are fine, look for a damaged bulb base or unseated bulb. (Whatever you do, don’t take out all the bulbs and reseat them – that’s just a recipe for disaster.)

Here is a quick video on where to find and how to replace the fuse in your set of mini lights.

Have a Merry Christmas and don’t run too many light sets together!!

Shellie Gardner
Christmas Light Source
Find Mini Lights all year at Christmas Light Source

This is a question that I see on a fairly regular basis.

This is an interesting question and depending on the lights you are considering the answer could be yes .. or no.

The answer is dependent on how the lights you are looking at are wired and connected together – whether they are in series or parallel.

More often than not, people ask this question regarding string lights – mini lights. These lights are run in series and are at constant current. Since the traditional incandescent lights have a much higher resistance than LED sets, they pull alot more current – which runs through both types of sets simultaneously. As a result, you just can’t run then in series with the newer LED sets. More than likely, you’d either pop the fuse of the LED set or ruin the LED set.

So part of the answer to the question is… “No”, you can’t run traditional incandescent and LED string lights in series in the same electrical run.

But what about C7 or C9 bulbs? This is the second most common way folks ask about combining incandescent and LED lighting. Eighteen gauge C7 and C9 Christmas light cord is wired in parallel – so all the bulbs have constant voltage and variable current – each bulb only pulls the current that it “needs” – determined by its resistance. This is the reason you can cut them to fit and skip sockets where you want to. So, in this instance, the answer is “Yes”.

In parallel wired C7 and C9 stringers, you can mix incandescent and LED bulbs to your heart’s content… beyond the electrical specifications, taste and Christmas light decorum are your biggest considerations when mixing bulb colors and styles.

Happy Lighting,

Shellie Gardner
Christmas Light Source
Mini Lights
LED Christmas Lights

Hello! I was just wondering if Battery Operated Mini Lights White Wire Product#: BL-154BATCLRW is the best product to use for wreaths? Look forward to hearing from you. Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,

Those are almost better tailored to short term events but yes, they do work for wreaths. The only issue to consider is the time they stay lit per set of batteries and how often you’d have to switch them out and the associated expense. Rechargeable batteries don’t always have the same brightness as traditional batteries so you’d need to be careful not to assume that they would be effective replacements in battery operated lights.

On the incandescent sets you mention, the batteries will last 4-7 hours per battery pack so you’d need to change the 2 C batteries out almost every day or two.

If you went with a battery operated LED set with 20 bulbs spaced 6 inches apart, then you’d have to change them every 3-5 days. They take 3 AA batteries that last about 18-24 hours per set.

For a smaller wreath, our microdrop lights are rated to last over 125 hours per charge. They have 18 lights that are 3 inches apart. They are really bright. If you didn’t need very many sets, those could be your best wire-less option.

Frankly, if there is any way that you can run a cord, that is the absolute best option you’d have for a wreath.

Hope that helps,

Shellie Gardner
Christmas Lights