# Stupid Christmas tree lights. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 8, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-christmas-tree-lights/476257 "2008-12-08T16:08:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-christmas-tree-lights/476257/1 "2008-12-08T16:08:10Z")
Due to a rampant stomach virus that the younger Whatsits have all been passing amongst themselves, they’re all home from school today. So, because I can’t get anything else done anyway, I thought this would be a great time to string the lights on the Christmas tree. Hauled the lights down from the box in the upstairs closet, and spent the next twenty minutes or so fighting with the prickly needles and getting sap all over myself to string the lights up. Those of you who have some familiarity with this process may have noted that I skipped a step in there, which I noticed too, as soon as I plugged in the lights, and… one strand lit up. Yes, that’s right, one strand out of TEN STRANDS worked. I took everything down and plugged them all in individually to check them (yes, I know I should have done this to start with) and NINE #$\*(#ing STRANDS were completely dead. How does this even happen?! They all worked last year! In fact, at least half of them were bought brand new last year! Grr. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-christmas-tree-lights/476257/2 "2008-12-08T16:19:51Z")
It’s always the one bulb that shorts out the entire string. I think they make strings now that are capable of passing power along to the rest of the lights if there’s a short at one of the junctions. That would save a lot of hair loss. As to _how_ it happened, I think that’s pretty clear: You didn’t test them first, so they took the rare opportunity to piss you off. On the whole, left to their own devices, inanimate objects are evil. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-christmas-tree-lights/476257/3 "2008-12-08T16:20:18Z")
We just buy new ones every year since they no longer last from year to year. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-christmas-tree-lights/476257/4 "2008-12-08T16:41:26Z")
Many people are unaware that each string of lights has a fuse hidden in a compartment on the male plug end. New light sets often come with an extra. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-christmas-tree-lights/476257/5 "2008-12-08T17:32:19Z")
> [@Mindfield](#): > > It’s always the one bulb that shorts out the entire string. I think they make strings now that are capable of passing power along to the rest of the lights if there’s a short at one of the junctions. That would save a lot of hair loss. There have always been parallel-wired strings available, although these were (and continue to be) much less common. The reason for this is that in series-wired strings, you can replace a single bulb with a flasher and the entire string will flash. With the price of LED strings coming down year after year, it’s worth it to replace your incandescent strings with them; they not only draw much less power, they last much, much longer and they can be easily controlled with digital logic so they can do more impressive tricks than just flash on and off. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-christmas-tree-lights/476257/6 "2008-12-08T17:34:25Z")
I think these WERE LED strands. I’m starting to wonder if one of the little Whatsits spilled a bunch of water on them without telling us, or something? Seems unlikely, but come on, nine dead strands? This is causing me a disproportionate amount of bother. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-christmas-tree-lights/476257/7 "2008-12-08T17:36:03Z")
LED lights are u.g.l.y. At least, all the ones I’ve seen are. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-christmas-tree-lights/476257/8 "2008-12-08T17:41:15Z")
> [@Q.E.D](#): > > There have always been parallel-wired strings available, although these were (and continue to be) much less common. The reason for this is that in series-wired strings, you can replace a single bulb with a flasher and the entire string will flash. > > With the price of LED strings coming down year after year, it’s worth it to replace your incandescent strings with them; they not only draw much less power, they last much, much longer and they can be easily controlled with digital logic so they can do more impressive tricks than just flash on and off. Incandescents can be controlled by logic circuits too. I have a set in my window right now that goes through a series of routines. Unfortunately they’re parallel wired (4 separate circuits though) and one of them is burned out, but the other 3 are working fine. I’ve never been fond of LEDs though. I’ve yet to see any that had the warmth of incandescents. They all seem to run into the colder end of the spectrum below 5K. If they could warm up the LEDs I’d gladly replace my existing ones. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-christmas-tree-lights/476257/9 "2008-12-08T18:00:53Z")
I think the Light Fayre does this to your lights if you don’t leave them cookies and Irish Cream. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-christmas-tree-lights/476257/10 "2008-12-08T20:01:31Z")
> [@Mindfield](#): > > Incandescents can be controlled by logic circuits too. Oh, sure, but it’s more expensive to do so because the incandescents require more current to drive them, and therefore need heavier gauge conductors. This is why you’ll only typically see three or four separate circuits; LEDs only draw 10-20 mA, typically, and you can bundle up enough individual conductors in the same space to drive each one on its own. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-christmas-tree-lights/476257/11 "2008-12-08T20:26:30Z")
> [@Q.E.D](#): > > Oh, sure, but it’s more expensive to do so because the incandescents require more current to drive them, and therefore need heavier gauge conductors. This is why you’ll only typically see three or four separate circuits; LEDs only draw 10-20 mA, typically, and you can bundle up enough individual conductors in the same space to drive each one on its own. True enough; my current set are a twisted bundle of wires of fairly heavy gauge (for the application) wiring which makes them a bit of a pain in the ass to hang due to the weight. Plus there’s the control box where I can switch sequences or set it on randomly shifting ones. Now, if I could get some LEDs that look like the incandescents and had their colour temperature, that would be most excellent. I don’t really think I’d even need to concern myself with serial or parallel wiring because they’re not likely to burn out anytime soon. (Although I’d need parallel if I want chasers.)