Outdoor christmas lights

[deuce22]

Hi.

I have outdoor christmas lights that I am putting up around the fascia of my house, but I need to extend the cable from the plug to the first light. There's 8m between them at the moment, but I need another 2 metres.

Can you buy and use the green flex that the lights are made from and can you then just connect them together?

Also can two sets of light be wired into one plug and then plugged into an outdoor socket or is it safer to buy one of those outdoor boxes and just plug them into that separately.

The info for the lights are:

Overall chain rating - 31v dc, 1.2w
Transformer rating - 31v-4va

Thanks.

 

[dhutch]

You can extend the extra low voltage green cable from the transformer to the first light. You will need some suitable cable of the same or greater cross section (at 1.2w I assume there LEDs, and the crossection is proberbly not that much) suitable insulated with some shrink tubing or decent grade electrical tape, if you stagger the two joints you will get a longer but neater/thiner join. You will need to ensure they are reconnected the same way as they are proberbly not marked.

4va on a purely resistive load is 4watts, max stated output of the trasformer, and the chain is stated at 1.2w so I expect you could connect both chains together to one plug, which is proberbly used for all there range, but there is an argument to say why risk it.

I assume the're static lights, or the chase unit is water proof and near to the first light. Otherwise there will be more than two wires and I would be even less happy about splicing two sets together.


Daniel

 

[deuce22]

Thanks Daniel.

I'll do what you advised.

 

[ThomasClark]

You can extend the extra low voltage green cable from the transformer to the first light. You will need some suitable cable of the same or greater cross section (at 1.2w I assume there LEDs, and the crossection is proberbly not that much) suitable insulated with some shrink tubing or decent grade electrical tape, if you stagger the two joints you will get a longer but neater/thiner join. You will need to ensure they are reconnected the same way as they are proberbly not marked.

4va on a purely resistive load is 4watts, max stated output of the trasformer, and the chain is stated at 1.2w so I expect you could connect both chains together to one plug, which is proberbly used for all there range, but there is an argument to say why risk it.

I assume the're static lights, or the chase unit is water proof and near to the first light. Otherwise there will be more than two wires and I would be even less happy about splicing two sets together.


Daniel

That was a really good response, cheers for that Daniel. I had a similar query but it's dealt with now. I have hired an access platform this year for fitting the Christmas lights to the house as I couldn't risk slipping across the guttering like last year. Have you heard of people doing this? This is the guide I chose from as I had to find a slim one to get through the trees outside the front of the house.

http://www.universalplatforms.co.uk/universal-access-guide

 

[dhutch]

I have hired an access platform this year for fitting the Christmas lights to the house ...

Taking it seriously then!
- I really want to go up onto the roof with my lights, rather than just round the walls, but I dont have roof/cat ladder and am not sure if I might be a bit too chicken to use it if I did!

See this thread: //www.diynot.com/forums/general-discussion/fixing-fairy-lights-to-roofs.346321/

Daniel

 

[ThomasClark]

I have hired an access platform this year for fitting the Christmas lights to the house ...

Taking it seriously then!
- I really want to go up onto the roof with my lights, rather than just round the walls, but I dont have roof/cat ladder and am not sure if I might be a bit too chicken to use it if I did!

See this thread: //www.diynot.com/forums/general-discussion/fixing-fairy-lights-to-roofs.346321/

Daniel

I don't think I would have the confidence to do that either to be honest. The cherry picker hire is not a bad idea at all. I wonder how many people are adopting this approach instead of the traditional ladder. Are you going to go for it and get the cat ladder?

 

[dhutch]

Are you going to go for it and get the cat ladder?

Torn, but I cant justify to cost of a cherrypicker, and I dont have the hard standing for it to run on unless its a big old boy with large fold out stability legs etc suitable for use on soft ground.

I have a freind who is a climber and can get his hands on some cat ladders, so if can convince him of the cause (childishness) which might do something.


Daniel

 

[ThomasClark]

Are you going to go for it and get the cat ladder?

Torn, but I cant justify to cost of a cherrypicker, and I dont have the hard standing for it to run on unless its a big old boy with large fold out stability legs etc suitable for use on soft ground.

I have a freind who is a climber and can get his hands on some cat ladders, so if can convince him of the cause (childishness) which might do something.


Daniel

I was pleasantly surprised when I inquired as I also imagined it to be too pricey. Good luck and Merry Christmas Daniel!

 

[Taylortwocities]

Please post pics/video of the finished project!