jgordon Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 This is my first LOR year in Cleveland Ohio, where the snow can get deeper than the base of my trees. I'm using CDI sealed LED's for my trees, but am wondering if I need to wrap the connections between the extension cords and the light strings. How much should I be concerned about moisture penetration? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallleyes Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Wrapping the connections will cause moisture to get trapped inside and cause shorts.I just leave mine lay on the ground and have no problems.They get buried under a foot or more of snow.Some guys put short stakes to lift them off the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Like walleyes said, moisture tends to get trapped. Tribal knowledge says leave it open. Also again as walleyes noted. Some keep the connection off of the ground. And the reason behind this is to keep the GFI from tripping. Or at least it helps alot. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max-Paul Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 Gee, thanks Jeff. I just what to thank my mom and dad and all of the little people that have make this possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetman299 Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 I am in north east ohio as well. In the place I haved used the cheap plastic child safety covers from the dollar store and put them in the ends of any open plugs on the connectors for my lights. I have not had any problems with not taping them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rednosetbird Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 Like everyone else dont wrap them! It was a big concern of mine last year being my first year with doing a lor show.I did not wrap anything even the controllers and had no problem.The one bit of advice I can share is I looped or kept the connections off the ground so the water can drain,its the same as doing a static show.also I made a gingerbread house to keep most of my controllers in to protect them and hide them from the general public.I hope some of this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgordon Posted July 26, 2012 Author Share Posted July 26, 2012 Thanks for the advice everybody! That sure saves me a lot of work. I like the idea of the childproof plugs to help keep moisture out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digdeepfundraising Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 How would this stand for me as most know I'm from the uk and its mainly always sunny here LMAO but when it rains it pours how will my show last it I get a downfall I have this worry that it will short and puff everything goes out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbirdruss Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 Looks like you have all the info you need here but thought I would add my own anecdote. The first year I decorated my house with standard ican's I had no problems with tripping GFCI's all season. Year 2 I decided to get cute and taped all of my connections. It seemed that everytime it rained I had issues but I lived wih it as I had a static display. Year 3 I got the "madness" and jumped into my first 16 channel display and taped all the connections. What a pain that was! GFCI problems daily! Year 4 I saw a post about not wrapping connections, I tried it and BINGO Zero GFCI problems. Now I run 128+ Channels with 10,000+ LED's and never have any GFCI issues.Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greywolf Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 one other note : if you do put the connections off the ground don't leave the connections at the bottom of the loop bring them up in the bend so the water or condensation will be at the bottom of the loop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 (edited) I would just like to know what all this talk of water, rain and snow is all about. Is this still goin on?I mean I read about it in history books and talked about among elders around the dinner table....Excuse me. I live in Oklahoma. Home of dry record heat, record drought and record wildfires. Edited August 6, 2012 by Santas Helper 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thobby04@gmail.com Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 I read the entire thread and now I'm concerned. I built 4 singing faces for Halloween with rope lights. I used black duct tape to wrap and hide the end connectors. Will I have shortage issues? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santas Helper Posted August 16, 2012 Share Posted August 16, 2012 Ever since Al Gore invented Global Warming, it's been hot and dry. Ever since he invented the Internet, you've had a forum to discuss the heat and dryness. Thank you Al Gore!JeffGood grief Jeff, did you have to include "that name" with "my" quote (twice no less)?What did I ever do to you that was so bad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgordon Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 (edited) I read the entire thread and now I'm concerned. I built 4 singing faces for Halloween with rope lights. I used black duct tape to wrap andhide the end connectors. Will I have shortage issues?Shortage issues? Heavens no ... your rope lights will just as long as they were before you wrapped them! Har de har har ... Edited August 20, 2012 by jgordon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TitusCarnathan Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 for best results where you will not be cursing in your front yard and yelling at the gfci receptical like I have in the past and every time the gfci trips (which must be funny to others if they are watching)leave it open but elevate it off the ground using those stakes you can buy at lowes walmart etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeKu Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 im just reading this post and while much of what was said is true...rain water "if pure" is not conductive but the inpurities in the air make it somewhat conductive and the second it hits a contaminated surface it becomes conductive and corrosive...best approach is use a little bit of vaseline on the prongs before plugging the ends together( theres also a version avaiable in most big box stores) this will help keep the moisture out and i would suggest using tape but only to keep the ends together. dont wrap completely to allow the moisture to drain. im actually considering using sandwhich bags and cable ties to give that little extra protection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wbottomley Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 im just reading this post and while much of what was said is true...rain water "if pure" is not conductive but the inpurities in the air make it somewhat conductive and the second it hits a contaminated surface it becomes conductive and corrosive...best approach is use a little bit of vaseline on the prongs before plugging the ends together( theres also a version avaiable in most big box stores) this will help keep the moisture out and i would suggest using tape but only to keep the ends together. dont wrap completely to allow the moisture to drain. im actually considering using sandwhich bags and cable ties to give that little extra protection.Let me reiterate once again, Tribal Knowledge has it to leave your connections unwrapped. I've been doing this for nearly 15 years and I don't wrapped connections and have left them on the ground. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeKu Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 wbottomley...With the highest respect for your years of experiance... Well i have not been using LOR i have had 4500 LED's lite each year for the past five and each and every year i have had to dig out a connection from the snow that has tripped my circuit or has come loose...I have spoken to two master electricians and both agreed with exactly what i suggested...dip the prongs and use a bit of tape..BELOW the plugs on the cords themselves and pull it across to the other side. keeping the plugs together but not covered. My thought of using the bags will be to create a waterproof seal eliminating all worries..i dont know your climate but up here we can get a lot of snow! And digging each one out till ya find the issue is not fun!lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wbottomley Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Just because a mechanic can work on a car doesn't mean it will run. Trust me, we can get snow here in N.C. See the image below... nothing is wrapped, sealed, etc. No problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeKu Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Just because a mechanic can work on a car doesn't mean it will run. hahaha ok point made..but ill be looking for a little help digging from you should i need it! :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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