Holiday Lighting Has Never Looked Brighter
If you have purchased new Christmas lights in the past few years, you’ve probably noticed they aren’t glass bulbs anymore, yet they shine better. Welcome to the invention of LED holiday lighting! Installation is the same as it would be with your old-school lights, but they are brighter, less dangerous because they aren’t glass, and they have a longer lifespan.
How are LED Christmas lights wired up?
LED holiday lighting is more complicated than traditional incandescent lighting. A short version of how they are wired starts with a diode with two semiconductor materials side by side. One material has a positive charge and one has a negative charge.
When current is applied to the Christmas lighting system, the electrons on the negative side move to the positive side. Particles on the positive side are referred to as “electron holes” and when they collide with an electron, it releases a bit of energy is released, becoming a photon. And then you see the bright colors of Christmas lights!
What are the differences between the incandescent lighting and LED Christmas lights?
Still today, we have two choices in Christmas lighting, the standard incandescent string lights, and the newer LED lights. There are pros and cons to both, read on to find out what those are:
- Energy-Efficiency: The newer LED bulbs use less energy, so where energy efficiency is a concern, these are what you need for next year’s holiday lighting installation project. Little heat is created by LED lights because are made with light-emitting diodes versus filaments of incandescent lighting. In time, the incandescent lighting will be gone, much like R44 freon.
- Durability: When it comes to which type of lighting will last from one-holiday lighting installation to the next, LED lighting is the one to choose. The old-school type of lighting lasts maybe 1,00 hours versus the 50,000 hours you’ll get from your LED lighting.
- Installation: The same cord is used on both types of light, so your holiday lighting installation will be similar to LED lighting. Some LED lights come on a copper strand which can make your holiday lighting installation a little challenging because it will easily tangle. Another note, the strand is shorter on LED lighting, which may require a longer extension cord.
- Costs: When it comes to dollar-for-dollar value, you will get less number of lights with LED compared to incandescent lights, meaning they’ll cost you more at the start, but since they don’t burn as hot and take less electricity, you’ll re-coop that money.
What is the overall lifespan of LED lighting?
There is a good chance you have been getting maybe years of holiday lighting installation from your current incandescent lighting. LED lighting gets up to 100,000 hours before you have to replace them. In general, by burning them 10 hours a day, you will get approximately 14 years of holiday lighting installation projects!
Will holiday lighting installation with LED lights cost more than incandescent?
Many homeowners are going with professional holiday lighting installation today. Maybe because they do not have time or they’re trying to be the next “McCallister” from the movie “Home Alone”. In either case, the cost of using LED lights will cost more than incandescent lighting. And of course, the more extravagant your lighting plans, the more expensive, no matter which type of lighting you use. Some examples of estimated costs in the Norco, Louisiana area:
- Incandescent holiday lighting installation: This type of lighting can cost up to $30 per strand. In addition, the longer they are on, the more they are costing you on your electric usage.
- LED holiday lighting installation: This type of lighting can cost up to $20 per strand. These cost more upfront, but at the end of the month, your electric bill will be less than if you had used incandescent lighting.
- Dome holiday lighting installation: These are highly popular for exterior use because of the soft light they emit. They can cost you up to $15 per strand.
Who do you call for holiday lighting installation?
In the years past, most homeowners did their holiday lighting installation themselves, because that is just the way it was done. The holidays couldn’t start until Dad climbed the ladder, stretching out across the roof line to get the lights evenly distributed, and then went further up the roof to place the inflatable Santa, Rudolf, and their sleigh next to the chimney.
Today, with medical insurance rates increasing as well as healthcare in general, more homeowners are choosing to hire a professional for holiday lighting installation. In this area of Norco, like other cities in America, you’ll find signs on corners advertising an individual or a company that provides holiday lighting installation services. Many are roofers or firefighters who are used to climbing on rooftops.
Choose an individual or company that offers a guarantee and continuous service. This means they will return and replace any bulbs that burn out and rehang anything that falls after a hard rain or wind.
In the years past, most homeowners did their holiday lighting installation themselves, because that is just the way it was done. The holidays couldn’t start until Dad climbed the ladder, stretching out across the roof line to get the lights evenly distributed, and then went further up the roof to place the inflatable Santa, Rudolf, and their sleigh next to the chimney. If you would like to set up your personalized holiday lighting installation in Norco and New Orleans, LA, please give us a call at 985-764-8191 to get started today!