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This section
contains information about traditional
outdoor Christmas lights:
C7 Lamps and
C9 Lamps plus answers to frequently
asked questions about outdoor
C7 and C9 Light Strings. Click on the
links above if you wish to go directly to
information about our new Low Energy Lamps,
Hanging C7-C9 Christmas Lights, Calculating
Maximum Runs and Wattage or our C7-C9
Picture Gallery. |
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What are C7
and C9 Lights?
C7 and C9 Outdoor Christmas Lights are
larger than small mini-style Christmas
lights and are often considered traditional
outdoor Christmas lights.
Traditional C9 and C7 Lights are
heavier-duty than mini-lights and are more
reliable. Christmas C7 and C9 bulbs screw
into a candelabra base socket and can be
replaced with standard Christmas bulbs
called lamps. These "traditional" light
strings are designed in such a way that if a
single bulb fails, it only affects that
bulb. Individuals often use C7 or C9 Light
Strings to decorate large outdoor Christmas
trees, outline building perimeters or simply
to decorate the outside of their homes. Both
C7 and C9 lamps or bulbs come in a variety
of colors while the base socket and wire can
be purchased in green or white. |
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What are the
differences between C7 and C9 Outdoor
Christmas Lights?
The main differences between C7 and C9
Christmas lights are the bulb or lamp size,
base size, and the wattage. C7 bulbs are
smaller than C9 bulbs with C7 bulbs just
over 2 inches, while C9 bulbs are just over
3 inches long. Our C7 lamps come in .6
watt LED,
2.5 watts and
5 watts while our C9 lamps are
1 watt
LED,
3.5
watts and
7 watts. C-9 Lights are useful for
decorating buildings, particularly those
that are 2 stories or more, as these bulbs
appear to shine brighter and seem more
visible from a distance. |
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What are the
differences between different base sizes on
light bulbs?
The commonly used light bulb bases in
holiday lighting are candelabra base and
intermediate base. A C7 bulb has the
smallest base called a candelabra base and a
C9 bulb has a larger base called an
intermediate base. For each type of base,
there is a corresponding socket size. For
example, a light bulb with a candelabra base
will fit only a candelabra socket.
Therefore, when purchasing light strings, be
sure to purchase bulbs with compatible
bases. If you purchase light strings with
intermediate sockets, be sure that the light
bulbs you purchase also have a intermediate
base.
What lengths
are your C7 and C9 Outdoor Christmas Light
Strings?
Our
C7 and C9 Stringers are made of 18 gauge
wire and come in strands of 25 Lamp Strings,
100 Lamp Strings, or 1000 Lamp Reels. Lamps
are spaced 12 inches apart on our 25 and 100
Lamp Strings. On our 1000 Lamp Reel, the
sockets are spaced 12, 15 or 18 inches
apart. When purchasing lights, choose the
spacing according to the look you want to
achieve. Generally, the farther away the
lights, the farther apart people want the
lamp spacing. This is because the farther
away the lights, the closer the spacing
appears.
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How do I
calculate the total number of bulbs that can
be run on a single circuit?
The following table gives a good idea as too
the number of bulbs that can be run on a
single circuit. For more details,
specific formulas, and maximum light lengths go to
Calculating Watts and Amps.
Total Number
of C7/C9 Lamps or Light Strings Run on a Single Circuit
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C7 or C9 Lamp
Wattage |
Lamps per 15 Amp Circuit
1800 Total Watts |
Lamps per 20 Amp Circuit
2400 Total Watts |
Energy Savings Compared to a 10
Watt Bulb |
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.6
Watts - LED C7 |
2400
Lamps |
3200
Lamps |
94% Savings |
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1
Watt - LED C9 |
1440
Lamps |
1920
Lamps |
90% Savings |
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2.5
Watts - Low Energy C7 |
576
Lamps |
768
Lamps |
75% Savings |
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3.7
Watts - Low Energy C9 |
389
Lamps |
519
Lamps |
63% Savings |
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5
Watts - Traditional C7 |
288
Lamps |
384
Lamps |
50% Savings |
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7
Watts - Traditional C9 |
205
Lamps |
274
Lamps |
30% Savings |
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10 Watts - Traditional C9. |
144 Lamps |
192 Lamps |
0% Savings |
Energy Savings
You can save
on your energy bill with LED or Low
Energy Lights. To calculate your
savings, you need to compare the LED or
Low Energy watts to the incandescent
watts. You can use the following
formula to calculate savings:
Lower
Watt Bulb / Higher Watt Bulb. Change to
% and Subtract from 100% = Energy
Savings
For
example, if you use LED C9 Lamps, 1 watt
each, instead of C9 Traditional Lamps, 7
watts each, you would divide 1 by 7 to
get .14. Change to 14%.
Subtract 14% from 100% to get 86%.
You will have a 86% total energy savings. See chart above for wattage amounts.
Remember that even though LED lights are
lower wattage, they are just as bright
as traditional light.
How many sets
of C7 or C9 Outdoor Christmas Light Strings
can I plug in together?
When using C7 or C9
25-Lamp Strings, do not connect more
than three strings in a series. You can
connect two of our C7 or C9
100-Lamp Strings together IF you use a
3 Outlet Power Adaptor plug in between
the two light strings. You should never
connect 100-Lamp Strings together without
the 3 Outlet Power Adaptor. The exception to
this rule is our
Low Energy/High Efficiency Lamps in
which case you can run twice as many strings
as stated above.
Can I plug a
C7 Lamp String into a C9 Lamp String? What
if they are the same wattage?
No. You cannot mix the two types of strings,
even if they are the same wattage.
Can I connect
C7 or C9 bulbs that have different watts?
No. You cannot connect stringers that
contain differing watts of C7 or C9 bulbs.
Why are some
of my outdoor traditional Christmas lights
brighter than others?
Several factors can effect the brightness or
look of our lamp. Different watts produce
different brightness. Generally the higher
the watts, the brighter the bulb. One
exception to that rule is our
High-Efficiency/Low Energy Bulbs. C7 and
C9 Christmas Bulbs have either a double
dipped or triple dipped coating of color.
The less a lamp is dipped, the brighter the
bulb. Age can effect the color of a lamp.
Lamps that have weathered a season outdoors
usually have lost some of their protective
coating and as a result, they appear
brighter than freshly dipped lamps. To
achieve a more consistent look, you may want
to use lamps that are the same age, same
wattage, and have been dipped the same
number of times. |
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