Christmas Bulbs and Cords
What is the difference between C7 and C9 bulbs?
C7 Christmas Bulbs and Cords
Installing Christmas Lights on Gutters
White C9 Twinkle Bulbs Incandescent
C9 Faceted LED Christmas Bulbs
C7 LED Bulbs
Smooth LED Bulbs
Decorating with Burlap - Light it up!
C7 and C9 Christmas Lights Buying Guide
Step 1. Choose a favorite size and shape of bulb
- C7 - C7 bulbs are about 1 1/2 inches long and have E12 bases - that's the same as a nightlight. At 5watts per bulb, they are a great size for wrapping tree trunks, outlining buildings, and decorating your Christmas tree.
- C9 - C9 bulbs are about 2 1/4 inches long and are the largest traditional lights that everyone associates with Christmas. They are great for outlining, wrapping and draping indoors and out. These retro bulbs are experiencing a resurgence in popularity.
- Round - G30, G40, and G50 bulbs look like ornaments on a Christmas tree and are becoming a stronger choice for outlining rooflines each year, consider this alternative shape for the Season and transition them to party bulbs in January.
Step 2. Choose between LED or Incandescent
Incandescent (C7 and C9 lights both come in all these styles.)
- Transparent - These bulbs have a "see-through finish" when painted. Â The clear or white version of transparent are the most popular variety for Christmas decorating. Transparent painted bulbs have 2 layers of paint. These bulbs have 2 layers of paint for the brightest color.
- Opaque - This finish is painted and is sometimes referred to as ceramic. The paint is not "see-through" and has a pastel look when lit. This finish is very traditional and is very similar to vintage Christmas light bulbs. This is the variety most used for a retro look.
- Triple Dipped - These bulbs are transparent and are painted with 3 layers. They have intense color but are slightly dimmer than our traditional transparent bulbs.
- Twinkle - These transparent bulbs flash on and off randomly in approximately one-second intervals.
LED
- Standard Faceted - The shape and finish of LED bulbs that has been most widely seen in the marketplace. The facets add to the sparkle quality of the bulbs. These bulbs are for static use only. That means that you can use them for outlining and other decorative applications as long as you don't use them with a controller that quickly flashes them on and off.
- Smooth - The latest lens finish. This clear, smooth lens is a wonderful approximation of the look of traditional bulbs and is becoming increasingly popular.
Step 3. Add Cords
1. Select Color
- Green
- White
- Brown (a few select cords are brown)
- Black (a few select cords are black)
2. Select the insulation thickness
- SPT-1 - Standard insulation thickness used for years by commercial installers.
- SPT-2 - Slightly thicker insulation used in environments and for projects that need great resistance to environmental degradation.
3. Select the spacing of the sockets
Choosing the distance between bulbs - or your socket spacing - will be determined by:
Size of the project - Smaller project, shorter distance between bulbs. Larger projects like crossing an expanse or wrapping larger are good candidates for wider spacing.
Be sure not to take breaker capacity into account when using shorter spacing and incandescent bulbs.
4. Choose the length of the cords
C7 and C9 cords come in the following lengths:
- 25 feet - manufactured with male and female plugs, run a max of 2 in series
- 50 feet - manufactured with a single male plug
- 100 feet - manufactured with a single male plug
- 250 feet - plugs not included, search for the right gilbert plug to match cord specifications
- 500 feet - plugs not included, search for the right gilbert plug to match cord specifications
- 1000 foot spools - plugs not included, search for the right gilbert plug to match cord specifications