LED Christmas lights?

[Ashful]

So, I've been watching the LED Christmas lights the last few years... hoping I might be able to switch over at some point. I'm running about 70 strings of 100 bulbs each, so roughly 2800 watts of power usage. It looks great, and the energy use isn't really killing me, but I'd like to cut it if I can for a few reasons:

1. I'm so close to the breaker limit on the circuit that serves most of my front yard that I have to pull the breaker panel cover and hang an ammeter on the line to check draw each year, usually moving a few cords to less convenient receptacles to stay below the 15A limit on that circuit.

2. I'd like to expand a bit here and there, and it just makes sense to invest in sets that consume less power, if feasible. It would also be nice to not have to worry about how many strings I'm running end-to-end, as my incadescents must be limited to runs of 5 or 6.

3. I do wonder how all the heat generated by hundreds of incandescents affects shrubbery in its winter dormancy.

After not finding any quality stuff in stock at the local stores, I decided to pick up several sets of the 5mm warm white LEDs from christmaslightsetc.com. They appeared to be good quality, at a fraction of what I paid for my last several GE Commercial incandescent light sets.

They arrived tonight, and the product quality seems fairly good, but the actual light they give off is still hard to look at. When compared with incandescents, they appear to be single-wavelength (no spectrum), with a weird dull greenish hue. They just lack the warmth and brilliance of white incandescent lights.

Has anyone found an LED Christmas light set that is good quality, and truly looks as good as incandescent? Seeing how far LED lighting technology has come in the last two years, I was hoping for better. Given the budget for electrons (see aforementioned 2800+ watts), I don't mind spending some dough to get a quality product, but it has to look good!

 

[jb6l6gc]

The noma led sets they sell here are Awsome. I've been adding every year. Have 8 23' strings with 70 lights per. Some white. Some red and white. And at 4.6 watts per string it's amazing. Plus they were just on sale for $14.99 a set

 

[jebatty]

Be sure to get LED strings that will continue to work if one bulb/connection fails. Some are wired in series, like really old incandescent strings used to be, and these are junk IMO.

 

[Ashful]

Yeah, these ones were good quality, and designed to work when some go out. Only complaint is the color spectrum, which seems to be almost non-existent.

I'm assuming the technology for residential bulbs is still as it used to be, using multiple different color LEDs to approximate a broad spectrum? I'm assuming the reason LED light sets often look poor compared to incandescent is that they're single-wavelength?

 

[velvetfoot]

I'm assuming the reason LED light sets often look poor compared to incandescent is that they're single-wavelength?

Are you talking only white bulbs here? I like my small colored leds. They don't have an enclosure, seem to have a magnifying aspect to them at the ends, which has kind of a directional spread to the light which appears to twinkle. Not like I'm a designer. But, I just put them in the windows. It sounds like you'd like to emulate the old school big bulbs in white.

 

[Ashful]

Yes white/clear, but I usually use the white mini incandescent bulbs that are 5mm (<1/4") diameter, so not the big ones. I think that the multi-colored LED strings might look better.

My kids want colored lights, so I'll probably exchange these "warm white" LEDs for colors. I won't use them out front, but I can use them on bushes around the courtyard and patios behind the house.

 

[Swedishchef]

Personally, I do not like LED lights. I don't like the colors (and light temperatures) etc. But that is just me. Perhaps I have not found the right ones yet.

I bought a nice new artificial tree this year. I was going to buy 8 sets of LED bulbs...well, I didn't want to spend $250 on new lights. My current lights on the tree (white mini lights) cost about $0.50/24 hrs use. lol.

Andrew

 

[jb6l6gc]

Here's my outside setup so far. 9 strings all led less than one 60w light bulb of consumption. I think they look great and were 14.99$ a string

 

[billb3]

My LED are all old. Not very bright, you don't really notice it until you get 150 feet away and they are all that single spectrum dull.

I think I'm just going to put spotlights on the wreaths on the doors this year.

I guess I won't be killing the planet with Christmas Spirit this year.
I'll be supporting the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
Sounds like a good enough excuse to not be stringing and unstringing lights this year.

 

[Swedishchef]

Here's my outside setup so far. 9 strings all led less than one 60w light bulb of consumption. I think they look great and were 14.99$ a string

Must have gotten them when there was a sale!

 

[jharkin]

We switched to LEDs for the outside lights. With the warm white ones, from the road you cant tell the difference Up close if you stare at them for awhile there is some 60Hz flicker. I got one set early on online (generic) that's only so so, more recently Ive been getting Philips mini light strings which are available in Target, etc.

Indoors we are still using traditional lights for the tree. I wouldn't go LED yet on that.


My outside setup is only about 6 strings and i have them on an 8 hour timer so I'd be surprised if the LEDs are saving me more than $10 on my December bill. The bigger benefit is that I don't have to deal with replacing at least one string every year and/or having to hunt bub by bulb along the fence line when one of them burns out.

 

[Ashful]

Yeah, I didn't say it, but I have spent probably 8 hours this year replacing bulbs. I have gone thru over 100 bulbs, which is probably more than the average year, but I always spend more time repairing strings than hanging them. I'd love to be rid of that time commitment.

Are your LED bulbs the little 5mm flat top things, or are they shaped like incandescent mini bulbs?

 

[Highbeam]

We like LED lights. I am not too concerned about the light spectrum or twinkle but I do care about power consumption and durability. We don't waste time changing the little fuses or replacing bulbs to find the one bad one. The whole string is like 10$ and it is not worth the time to repair them. Been down that road.

We buy only the "warm white" LED with the smallest plastic "bulb" since they are easier to deal with and don't tangle as much. I find the light pleasant. This year we bought 7 more strands and chose those hanging icicle lights on gutter hooks. LOTS of light per foot. The dog likes the light for his pee breaks.

 

[sportbikerider78]

The best way is to hit up the big box stores or your local hardware store early Jan. I bought 100 pcs warm white LED strings for about $6.
The color spectrums are WAY off for each brand. You have to see them in person to really know what they look like.