Thread: Light Strings Shorting out!

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hey guys,

Happy Summer to you all. I had a major problem last year because I had hung up a large number of string lights all through the yard and they shorted out within a few days. I had to either replace their fuses our replace the entire string set.

Am I overloading my two outlets? Do I need to connect my strings to a surge protector?

Any help or advice any of you could offer would be greatly appreciated!

-Jose

Generally there should be instructions regarding the max number of lengths you can connect together. Depends on type. For rope lights, I've heard of using up to 150 feet for 120V lights. Some LED rope lights can be taken out to somewhere near 900 feet. If you are using a really long run them LED is the way to go.

Never exceed the maximum wattage and or amperage of the circuit supply.

The best way That I have found is to set up number of what I would call "light paths". That is to say if I wanted to set up a number of lights, I would set them up so that they would have no effect on the other strings. This is not an easy thing to do.

First you must test to see how much current ea string or light will draw? Than you must know how much power you have to run all of the things you ant to run?

You will be amazed on what your need are. I run my setup on a 50AMP/240 watt service.

You Wow, how can it take so much? My setup has 2 computers with 6 K74 boards (I think that is what they are) that will run 48 different circuits for lights and props.

I have not hit the max, but I don't want to run short.

PMT

I've strung seveal standard 110 strings together and blown LOTS of fuses. I've even hard wired bypassing the fusses and strung them hard connection to the next and seen burnt and melted plugs/receivers.

Gotta be carefull.