Splitting up light features into individual elements - best practices?

[jtomason]

I bought a few sets of these "C9" driveway markers:

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Home-Accents-Holiday-20-in-Giant-C7-Multi-Color-Pathway-Lights-Set-of-5-C7-5L-STA1-M/202528088

 

Right now I have them controlled as one set - i.e. I plugged each set of 5 into one LOR channel. 

 

What I am thinking about doing for next year is cutting them up and wiring them individually - so that 5-light set would become 5 individual lights.   As these are incans, I know I can just cut the wire between them and add a plug (and, most likely, some extension cord as well).   I presume that lamp cord and vampire plugs would be the way to go, but are there any "gotchas" here that I should be concerned about, or any other words of wisdom/experience that anyone can offer?

 

  Thanks, Joe

 

 

 

 

[Mega Arch]

No real "gotchas" except turning power off before cutting.

Just get a flashlight and read the printing on the cord. It is probably SPT1, but make sure you match cord to plug.

I personally buy the fused vampire males in this application. I use non-fused only when making extension cords. I think most others use the standard vampires for everything.

Good luck.

[rainyoregonchristmas]

Or solder in fused plugs that you cut off dead strings of lights. Never discard lights with out cutting off the plugs. Tons of DIY projects can be done with them

[Max-Paul]

Can you get to the light bulbs withing the colored lens? Have you removed one bulb and plug in the set of 5. Do the other 4 bulbs light up? More than likely they will, but if you want to prevent any surprises, try this out.

[jtomason]

You can indeed get to the bulbs - I will have to try that later.   There are only two conductors throughout the string, which is why it seemed ideal to just "cut and plug".   

[LORisAwesome]

I had a couple of these sets awhile back.  Threw them away. They drove me nuts, couldn't get them straight, and the looked awful all leaning in different directions.

 

Maybe you will have better luck. 

 

Jerry

[jtomason]

I did halfway decently with them; since they are running next to the walkway, I simply made sure that the cord between them was parallel as I placed each one.    Next year, if they are indeed separated, I will likely lay down a staked rope as a guide.   Getting them perfectly vertical is a minor challenge, but not an insurmountable one.  What's worse is fixing them when the dog decides to go into the yard and squeezes underneath the cord.  

 

What I might actually do next year is hang them upside-down suspended in the air..   Have to think about that.

[Max-Paul]

You can indeed get to the bulbs - I will have to try that later.   There are only two conductors throughout the string, which is why it seemed ideal to just "cut and plug".   

So what if there are only two conductors? If these bulbs are in parallel or in series. Either way you only need two wires. You do know what they say about "ASSume". Something you dont want to do when working with electricity.