About LED Christmas Lights
Most people love to see the little twinkle of Christmas lights when the weather turns cold. Nobody, however, loves the environmental or financial impacts that these lights can have. The solution to both of these problems is LED Christmas lights. Displaying the same festive twinkle as traditional lights, LED lights use less energy and last longer than their incandescent counterparts.
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Definition
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LED, or light-emitting diode, lights are substitutions for traditional miniature incandescent or fluorescent Christmas lights. They can be used exactly as traditional lights would, and the only difference is the type of bulb within the colored light cover.
Price
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Both types of Christmas lights sell at relatively the same price, depending upon their lengths. Many major retailers, including Target and Lowes, carry LED lights in their stores, while many online retailers also offer direct access to the lights, including HolidayLEDs.com and ChristmasLightSource.com (see Resources below). There are some savings to be had, however, when it comes to the electrical bill. Incandescent bulbs eat up approximately 33 percent more power than LED lights do, according to "Consumer Reports."
Durability
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Though they are often only used a few weeks per year, the toll that the Christmas season takes on holiday lights can cause bulbs to burn out quickly. LED Christmas lights, however, are more durable than incandescent lights, perhaps because they utilize less electricity. According to "Consumer Reports," a typical fluorescent or incandescent bulb will last approximately 2,000 hours before it burns out. An LED light, however, can last for more than 4,000 hours, which cuts down on replacement time and costs. LED lights also remain cooler than traditional Christmas lights, which have been known to overheat and cause fires.
Types
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You can buy LED Christmas lights in virtually any shape and size. There are traditionally sized lights that range from miniature to raspberry or strawberry shaped. Some are also shaped as decorative items, such as snowflakes, snowmen or candy canes. They also come in most traditional colors, ranging from multicolored strands to individual lights that can be purchased in red, green, blue, white, purple and orange. Some artificial Christmas tree retailers also sell their trees with LED lights. Some holiday decorations, including rope lights and decorative figurines like Santa Claus or reindeer, are also strung with LED lights. Just be sure that the retailer specifies that the item contains LED lights.
Environment
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LED Christmas lights are often championed by environmental advocates because they last longer, use less electricity and reduce the likelihood that the lights will cause a fire to a home or Christmas tree. For the true environmentalist, there are even solar-powered LED lights, which contain batteries that recharge in sunlight and automatically turn on at night after the sun goes down (see Resources below).
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