Window frame light string questions

[not enuf fuses]

So I'm going to use PVC for my window lights this year. It will be my first year putting any lights around windows. I did a search here and found out which kind of plastic clips to hold the PVC in place around the window but my question is with the light string itself. Should I be looking for light strings using white cord since my vinyl siding is white? If anyone uses the green cord how do you hide it? And how would you run the cord from the window frame to the controller? Thanks in advance, gang!

[k6ccc]

If you are using white PVC and white siding, I would go for white wire if possible.

 

[ericm]

I painted my pvc black with plain black spray paint and held up well and used green strings for mine.  But it's all personal preference

[Ebuechner]

I use white on white and during the daytime it's almost invisible against the White windows

[not enuf fuses]

Thanks for the input, folks. Looks like I'll be looking for white corded light strings.

 

One other question. What does anyone do when there are too many lights in the strand and there's extra lights on the string?

Edited August 25, 2016 by not enuf fuses

[Mr. P]

I have some led strings that are too long so just black them out with some tape or something. My "tune to" sign has about 20 extra lights so I wrap them in a black plastic bag and tape it up behind the sign. Don't cut leds as most are regulated and if you cut them it will usually kill the string or shorten them.

[Ebuechner]

If you're talking about regular store-bought light strings LED or incandescent with a little trial and error you should be able to get it to come out. If you're talking about RGB smart or dumb strings that's a completely different answer. If you're using light strings I strongly suggest using LED then you can tape them off . If you're using incandescent bulbs I wouldn't suggest bundling them up they might get too hot

[Mr. P]

11 minutes ago, Ebuechner said:

If you're talking about regular store-bought light strings LED or incandescent with a little trial and error you should be able to get it to come out. If you're talking about RGB smart or dumb strings that's a completely different answer. If you're using light strings I strongly suggest using LED then you can tape them off . If you're using incandescent bulbs I wouldn't suggest bundling them up they might get too hot

If they are incans they can just pull the bulbs out. Heck, just about all incans can be cut down.

Except for the very very cheap ones.

Edited August 25, 2016 by Mr. P

[George Simmons]

3 minutes ago, Mr. P said:

If they are incans they can just pull the bulbs out. Heck, just about all incans can be cut down.

Those must be some new-fangled incans.  Every time I've ever pulled an incan mini out of a socket, that section of the string went dark.

Unless you really know electricity and what you're doing regarding resistors, etc. cutting down incans could be a very bad idea.  Start running more voltage through those hair-thin filaments than they were intended to handle, and you'll see a cascade effect as the entire string eats itself. 

[Orville]

1 hour ago, George Simmons said:

Those must be some new-fangled incans.  Every time I've ever pulled an incan mini out of a socket, that section of the string went dark.

Unless you really know electricity and what you're doing regarding resistors, etc. cutting down incans could be a very bad idea.  Start running more voltage through those hair-thin filaments than they were intended to handle, and you'll see a cascade effect as the entire string eats itself. 

George is absolutely correct.  you just can't blindly cut out incans from a strand of lights!    If you have a 20 light incan strand, then each bulb is rated at 6V, 6V * 20 bulbs = 120V, If you remove just one{1} bulb this is what you get: 6V * 19 bulbs = 114V, however, even so, this is not a good idea because the strand will burn a little brighter and will cause bulb failures much sooner than expected, because you pushing +6V over what the bulb count can handle.{I know I've tested this out by cutting strands down and testing them.   It's just not advisable or a safe thing to do!

When I'm looking to create an outline for a sign or one with lighted letters, I'm going to try and use every incan on the strand, but I also try to find short strands of incans, like 10 bulbs/strand, these would be 12V bulbs * 10 = 120V, 20 Bulb strands, which would be 6V *20 = 120V or 35 bulb strands, which would average out to 3.4V per bulb, which the common bulb would be 3.5V in this case, 3.5V * 35 = 122.5V, which that's 2.5V above the standard 120V, that just means the bulbs will light using a little less voltage than needed, which is acceptable in this case.  BTW: I find most of these "shorty" strands, 10 bulbs and 20 bulbs per strand at most DOLLAR stores for $1, and sometimes I get lucky and get them 2 for $1!

But overloading the strand by removing a bulb or several bulbs and NOT compensating by using appropriate voltage bulbs to the current voltage used, this could cause the strand to overheat and, worst case, start a fire and burn your home down.

So if you don't know how to calculate the correct voltage bulb for a strand you wish to shorten, best advice is leave it alone and use black out caps, and as one other stated, never bundle incans, they get too hot when bundled and a fire can also be started from them.    No black out caps, take the bulbs out, paint them flat black and put them back in the strand, they won't be seen.  Only issue is if one burns out, you won't be able to know which one.  So black out caps are recommended, easy enough to take off the cap and check a bulb as opposed to paint.

 

[Ebuechner]

I was trying to keep my answer short and to the point for a newbie. I agree with everyone unless you're very sure of what you're doing DON'T cut or modify a light string. but the beauty of using light strings on a frame around your window is it gives you a lot of room for adjustment I don't see why you would end up with spares. And in my opinion use LED all the benefits far outweigh the extra cost

[Sctiger]

Forgive my ignorance on the matter, but is there any videos of the pvc light frames that anyone can recommend? This sounds like something I would like to try.

[Ebuechner]

2 hours ago, Sctiger said:

Forgive my ignorance on the matter, but is there any videos of the pvc light frames that anyone can recommend? This sounds like something I would like to try.

How to make them or watching them in action?

[Sctiger]

Sorry for being vague...How to make them.

[Ebuechner]

8 hours ago, Sctiger said:

Sorry for being vague...How to make them.

Here's the link to check out that I started. I haven't seen any videos but it's a pretty easy thing to do the hard part is deciding how you're going to mount them to your window every situation is unique

[Sctiger]

54 minutes ago, Ebuechner said:

Here's the link to check out that I started. I haven't seen any videos but it's a pretty easy thing to do the hard part is deciding how you're going to mount them to your window every situation is unique

Awesome! Thanks a lot!