Buying Guides

When Christmas approaches the average household goes into the attic to lift out last years’ decorations and proceeds to re-use. Statistics show that during the Christmas period the amount of accidental house fires is greatly increased due to poor quality or badly installed Christmas Lighting. Most sets of Christmas lights have an estimated life span of 4 to 5 years, although this requires a good level of care and attention. In recent years the advancement in Christmas Lighting has risen a significant level as the incandescent bulb is quickly becoming a decoration of the past. This has now been over taken by LED Lighting which is more energy efficient (see Buying Guide – Energy Efficient) and generally safer.

Why not throw away those old incandescent bulb Christmas lights and become Greener with a new set of Ultra Bright LED’s. At Festive Lights we have over 1000 products to choose from on our online store which contains a wide range of String and Fairy Lights in both, set lengths or the innovative Connectable versions. This would not be of great expense as all of our vast ranges of products are of an affordable price.

Safety is paramount to all at Festive Lights so all of our trained lighting specialists are available to advise or recommend simply by picking up the phone.

After establishing the type of product and the purpose in which it will be used our advisors will be able to give you options on the best lights for your purpose. We do however have a few tips which you may find handy.

• Never use mains (230 – 240v) voltage lighting indoors. This is because mains voltage lighting systems use up a lot of the energy in heat and are therefore potentially dangerous. If one bulb goes the voltage on each of the other bulbs is increased and therefore enhances the possibility of fire.

• A Light system that gets hot should never be used on a real tree and only on a flame retardant artificial tree. This is because the heat given off by the lights will dry out the branches and greatly increase the risk of fire.

• Use a Circuit Breaker, Circuit Breakers are a great way of assuring the safety of your lighting systems as any fault or problem with the lights will just trigger the Circuit Breaker which stop the power getting to the product.

• If a light system is supplied with a transformer ensure that transformer is used to power the product, using an alternative transformer may result in the item receiving too much power and therefore damaging the product.

Indoor Lights

Festive Lights main safety tip for indoor lighting is to always use a low voltage LED light set. Not only does this prevent the risk of fire caused with mains voltage lighting systems but reduces the risks of electrocution significantly. This however doesn’t mean that the choice or quality of products will be sacrificed in order to keep them safe. At Festive Lights we are always developing new and exciting products to add to our vast ranges and colours which includes 8 vibrant colour options (in String Lights and Fairy Lights and Rope Lights only) and a large range of Connectable Lighting which increases safety around the home by allowing multiple products to be powered from one plug and therefore reducing the amount of wires and leads that can be potential trip hazards.

Featured indoor category links

• LED Fairy Lights 5mm Bulbs

• LED String Lights 8mm Bulbs

• Battery Tea Lights

• Decorative Christmas Tree Lights

Outdoor Lighting

Installing outdoor lighting has the potential to be extremely dangerous. If they are within arm’s reach without the need for an elevated platform then only the normal precautions apply. However, if a ladder or elevated platform is required (scaffolding) then we recommend that you acquire the services of a qualified electrician or installation technician / handy man. In regards to the lighting, ensure the power source is safe for outdoor use and/or that the plug or transformers are kept in an appropriate safe/dry place.

Ensure the proposed lighting is specifically designed for outdoor use. If unsure please do not hesitate to contact our experienced team on 01257 792 111.

Featured outdoor category links

• Commercial Silhouettes