So always double-check before purchasing lights for use outside to make sure that the ones you have can endure the outdoor conditions! If you have an old set of lights that you no longer require you could cut the Male plug end off leaving a workable length of wire and strip the wires on both ends and wire nut them together just be mindful of polarity. Participation and delivery area vary by store. The diagram above shows another possible way to connect the wires. These wires can then be cut wherever you want the light run to end. LED Christmas lights are a safer option for festive holiday decorations. Please contact customer service. That said, it is possible to cut regular string lights to a desired length as long as you do so safely and dont plug them in until youre sure theyve been cut and mended correctly. helpful thanks i will try this on my project. They will be used to cut and shorten your LED Christmas lights. Before we start, you first need to find out whether your LED Christmas lights are wired as parallel or as a series. If you dont mind a little asymmetry, then dont sweat it! Once youve cut it, cover each loose end with a wire nut and secure it firmly with electrical tape. Get into the holiday spirit with interior Christmas decorations. Light stringers where bulbs can be replaced are commonly used for C7 and C9 Christmas bulb displays. Most mini Christmas lights and LED Christmas lights are wired as multiple sections of wired in series. This will lay the electrical cord across the vampire teeth. Luckily, there's a much faster way of creating custom Christmas lights using zip plugs, zip cord and zip sockets. Notice as the bulbs are removed and the volts/light increase the lights get brighter, 120 volt / 40 bulbs in series = 3 volts/bulb120 volt / 35 bulbs in series = 3.4 volts/bulb120 volt / 10 bulbs in series = 12 volts/bulb. Gray House Studio does receive commissions for sales from these links but at no extra cost to you. After twisting the wires together secure with a wires connector. The steps below will show you how to install these types of plugs on a wire. These connections can be further protected by covering them in electrical tape, liquid tape or heat shrink tubing. If the lights go outdoors be sure to useoutdoor/waterproof wire connectors. Since you will be removing bulbs from a series, you will be cutting from the 3-wire part of the series. This will lay the electrical cord across the vampire teeth. It will connect to the vampire tooth that's connected to the metal tab on the side of your socket and maintain the polarization of the electrical current. After you've finished decorating your home's interior, show off your holiday spirit outside. *Shipping outside the continental 48 United States and over-sized items requiring truck shipping will incur additional shipping fees. Note that these teeth are not aligned. This is important. Lastly, cover the wire with a wire nut connector and secure with electrical tape so it doesnt fall off. You'll note that it's actually two wires side by side. Free delivery offer excludes same day delivery. Hi Jean, That is a great idea for another video. Step 2: Because youll be working with exposed wires, youll want to use an abundance of caution. ), 15 Best Thanksgiving Roast Turkey Recipes, 15 Fall Wedding Ideas That Are Cozy and Chic. If your goal is to remove one or two lights off a strand wired in series it is possible but not ideal. WONDERFUL, thank you!!! These teeth bite into the cord when the plug is assembled to connect to electric current. Sign in for faster checkout and to redeem and earn rewards! You should see that the Christmas lights change from having 3 wires to 2 wires then changes back to 3 wires. These teeth bite into the cord when the plug is assembled to connect to electric current. Handyman Service is currently not available in your area. When you only take away a few lights instead of a whole section, the voltage thats sent to the remaining bulbs increases and will prematurely blow out the strand. That way, they'll be tangle-free and ready to put up next year. Take time to see the wide variety of bulb shapes and sizes that are available. The fee is determined at checkout. You may have to press it in a bit with your finger. While electrically savvy DIY'ers can tackle most basic wiring fixes, it is recommended that Christmas mini light strings that are damaged be replaced rather than repaired. ), Get This Look: Romantic Edison Bulbs Light a Tucson Patio, 5-Minute Project: 4th of July Glass Block, Quick and easy backyard fence lighting project. Set the back on the socket. Thanks! Is there a way to do this to indoor fairy lights?? Most useful when removing more than 1 or 2 lights. Exposed wires can shock you. If you cut the lights where there are only two wires adding a plug is pretty simple. When you slide the backing on again, this presses the cord down onto the "vampire teeth" inside of the plug, creating a connection with the electrical current. And then you have to decide where to put the excess portion because you dont want to leave it dangling, but you might not want it to look off-balance from the other end. Cut those wires and strip off the ends with your wire cutter. Step 4: After youve identified each section, cut the (unplugged!) This will be a great way to improve our light display. Not a member? Select 2 or more products for side-by-side feature comparison. You can also easily shop our recommended products here. Planning your light display before making a purchase will save you from a lot of potential roadblocks during installation. As long as you cut it in the middle as Was instructed there should only be Two cut wires on the strand with out a male plug. The lights are designed so each bulb receives all 120 volts and each bulb has a direct route to power, meaning they can be cut to any length without overpowering and burning out bulbs. Shop the products we used for this project in one place. The first one is the safer and easier option as it would only require you to cut away a part of the entire string of lights. Very helpful. The yellow and red wires are both connected to the blue line on either side of the light bulbs. Think through your project and you might even be able to use the extra cord for another project. 5) Using a sharp knife or other cutting tool, gently split the end of your zip cord to separate the two wires, pulling them apart a half inch. Sorry, fairy lights cannot be shortened or modified. As you shop, the bulbs are separated into two main categories: C7 and C9 bulbs most traditionally used for Christmas but great used all year on patios and for parties, Bigger, brighter party lights these come in a wider variety of shapes and colors. See Details. As you slide the backing on, it will press the electrical cord firmly onto the vampire teeth, securing the electrical connection. Wire nut connectors you can buy this in any hardware or electrical supply stores near you. You may want to use pliers, or set the socket down and press the backing on with a hard, flat item like a piece of wood. You can usually find their safety rating stamped on the cords themselves. It has been awhile. Shop Ace to buy Christmas tree lights and other seasonal lighting options to add festive flair to your home. Now push the backing down onto the electrical cord firmly enough to press the cord onto the teeth in the socket. Measure how long you want your new string of lights to be and check where it ends. If all or a section of lights turns off than the lights are wired in series. Our delivery program lets you get the qualifying items delivered from the store to your door by a helpful Ace associate. The light stringers use a two-wire configuration only and the stringers can be bought in up to 1,000 ft spools, which is what professional installers often use to create custom length light runs. Find white indoor lights, oversized outdoor lights, multi-color LED light sets and all the other options you need to make this season bright. Some pressure will be needed to slide the plug in place and you may even need to use pliers. Thanks for the information. 4) Now look closely at your electrical cord. After youve selected your bulb and cord, youll need to choose a proper plug. Note that the plastic divider down in the well should separate the split ends of your electrical cord. A good rule of thumb is that most rope lights, lights that are labeled as patio lights, and Christmas lights are usually safe to be used outdoors because theyre made with durable materials. Measure how long you want your new string of lights to be. The many outdoor lighting options out there have the capacity to transform any backyard, deck, or patio into something remarkably beautiful. Ive found 2 strand but againOCD. By learning how to shorten LED Christmas lights, you can ensure that your light decorations are exactly how you want them to be. The more bulbs you remove from each section, the more chances of burning out the remaining bulbs. There are an amazing number of choices when it comes to patio lighting. Well done! Maybe you need to finish a small section on your roof or you would like to add lights to your fireplace mantle but dont need 30 feet to get the job done. 1) Make sure nothing you're working with is plugged in. Excludes Giant Everest trees and commercial decorations. Although this is fairly easy to do, the risk lies in the possibility of overloading the remaining bulbs in the section. Christmas lights wired in series spread 120 volts coming out of the plug across all the lights. One way to determine how the lights are wired is to completely remove one of the bulbs. Only problem is then fixing a place for the blacked out lights. We explained in our article answering the question, Are Christmas lights in series or parallel?, we discussed that while mini lights with small wiring harnesses wired in series cannot be easily cut to custom lengths, parallel wired cords can be cut and terminated. Splicing Means Different Things to Different People. FREE for Ace Rewards Members on Orders $50+ Sign In/Join Now. Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice. Their thicker insulation makes them better for withstanding weather conditions. It will connect to the vampire tooth that's connected to the metal tab on the side of your socket and maintain the polarization of the electrical current. Step 1: Look at the safety ratings on lights you're interested in purchasing to ensure they are rated for outdoor use. However, some may find that the Christmas lights they recently bought are far too long for their intended use. Only one loose wire and the wire coming from the light bulbs should be connected together. Most LED Christmas lights are wired as a series, and this tutorial deals with those wired as such. If all the lights remain on then most likely the strand is wired in parallel. Thanks for the great diagrams. Notice how in this example, if you lay out your cords and use the end of the second cord, the part you cut off will still have its factory installed plug and the leftovers can be used to light a small project! Blue (22-870) or Gray (22-871) wire nuts are the two that work the best for small gauge (22-16 AWG) wires. What if I only want to remove a few bulbs, not a whole section? Then, simply cap each of the two cut wires with awire connector. If you want to fix these problems yourself but dont know how to shorten LED Christmas lights, then we have the right tips for you. Although LED Christmas lights consume less energy and are generally safe for use, they still deal with electricity, so shortening your LED Christmas lights is still a risk. One of them is connected (through the plug) to the wide blade or receptacle; the other to the narrow. In this tutorial we will show how to shorten string Christmas lights. Heres how you can remove an entire section: Shortening LED Christmas lights can be done safely with the right tools and steps. Make sure no loose wire strands are sticking out. By connecting the wires this way, the lights will turn on when you plug it in. Rest assured, we'll call to confirm. Your email address will not be published. Option 1: Purchase commercial light strings or spools with the sockets already attached in popular increments like 6, 12 & 18 inch bulb spacing. See our samples below! Before you decide which method to use, we recommend drawing a basic sketch of your house or the area you plan to light and adding exact measurements to the sketch. Indoor options for your tree, outdoor options for your home, and unique mini-lights for hanging around the house or decorating furniture are all ideal for adding holiday spirit to every space. Choose one of the following ways to terminate shortened cords: Need a picture? The installation process is the same whether you are using E12 or E17 size sockets. This is important. The diagram above shows the CORRECT way to connect the spliced wires. Ace Rewards members spending $50 or more are eligible to receive free Next Day delivery on in-stock orders. Here are a couple of examples that are worth a 1000 words. 3) Now look closely at your electrical cord. Prices, promotions, styles, and availability may vary. The result is a polished Christmas light display with clean lines and no extra mess of wires or unused sockets. These will be used to secure the ends of your shortened LED Christmas lights. And now you would have Two separate sections of lights. Glad you found this tutorial helpful Charles! When trimming your lights to fit a particular space, the most ideal scenario would be cutting outdoor hanging lights that are designed to be customized. Align these humps to ensure you're attaching the back the right way. Shop Ace Hardware to buy Christmas lights for indoor and outdoor use. Since theyre designed to be cut, theres much less of a safety risk, and youll have room to work with if you ever decide you want to cut more. Can I cut Christmas lights to length? However, some Christmas lights are only for indoor use, so its always a good idea to look at the rating. Just visit Users > Your Profile > Biographic info, And everyone said you cant shorten 3 wire harness. When cutting standard outdoor hanging lights, your best option will be to remove a whole section at a time. Consult an electrician if attempting to fix or customize wiring like this because it is not advisable. Apply gentle force so as not to damage the socket, and make sure the backing is seated firmly all the way around. Use coupon code FiveOffSpecial to receive $5 off of your order!
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