X-mas light Safety ??

[Phil Allison]

Hi to all,

a number of folk living in home units round here have decorated their
balconies with strings ( loops actually ) of tiny coloured lights - looks
great at night.

Fraid it is very far from safe though !!!!

The ones I can see up close consist of loops of 40 or so small incandescent
bulbs wired direct to a 240 volt AC plug. The householders have fed the
strings around the wrought iron railings on their balconies. Obviously, the
strings are fully exposed to the weather and are not intended for such
exposure.

Far as I can see, if at any point the insulation on the wire loop becomes
worn or punctured OR the metal bits inside a broken bulb make contact the
railing - we have a possible tragedy in the making.

In the cases I know best, the railings are not earthed and the premises have
no ELCBs installed.

Is this dangerous practice going on all over the country ??


..... Phil

 

[Don McKenzie]

On 07-Dec-10 8:12 AM, Phil Allison wrote:

Hi to all,

Is this dangerous practice going on all over the country ??

.... Phil

Let me guess and say yes Phil. You don't have to drive too far to spot it.

And here is the modern LED equivalent:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16058

Lower power maybe, but safer?

Even from the supply point of view, I can imagine power boards plugged into power boards, plugged into etc......
All on the laundry floor no doubt.

Cheers Don...

=====================


--
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Bare Proto PCB for PIC or AVR projects?
"I'll buy that for a Dollar!".

 

[Tom]

On 7/12/2010 7:12 AM, Phil Allison wrote:

Hi to all,

a number of folk living in home units round here have decorated their
balconies with strings ( loops actually ) of tiny coloured lights - looks
great at night.

Fraid it is very far from safe though !!!!

The ones I can see up close consist of loops of 40 or so small incandescent
bulbs wired direct to a 240 volt AC plug. The householders have fed the
strings around the wrought iron railings on their balconies. Obviously, the
strings are fully exposed to the weather and are not intended for such
exposure.

Far as I can see, if at any point the insulation on the wire loop becomes
worn or punctured OR the metal bits inside a broken bulb make contact the
railing - we have a possible tragedy in the making.

In the cases I know best, the railings are not earthed and the premises have
no ELCBs installed.

Is this dangerous practice going on all over the country ??

It's not dangerous, it is called natural selection. Few dickheads less
may do good for this country, they been multiplying lately due to
government protection.

Tom

 

[fritz]

"Phil Allison" <phil_a@tpg.com.au> wrote in message news:8m51tdFp65U1@mid.individual.net...

Hi to all,

a number of folk living in home units round here have decorated their balconies with strings ( loops actually ) of tiny coloured
lights - looks great at night.

Fraid it is very far from safe though !!!!

The ones I can see up close consist of loops of 40 or so small incandescent bulbs wired direct to a 240 volt AC plug. The
householders have fed the strings around the wrought iron railings on their balconies. Obviously, the strings are fully exposed to
the weather and are not intended for such exposure.

Far as I can see, if at any point the insulation on the wire loop becomes worn or punctured OR the metal bits inside a broken bulb
make contact the railing - we have a possible tragedy in the making.

In the cases I know best, the railings are not earthed and the premises have no ELCBs installed.

Is this dangerous practice going on all over the country ??


.... Phil

When you buy the xmas lights they should be clearly labelled - indoors or outdoors.
I guess some people are stupid.
Obviously series connected globes running directly off 230V are NOT suitable for outdoors..
I rewired a 20-globe 230V series string to operate in parallel off 12V, using an old
50W 12V AC transformer designed for halogen lights. The trannie is indoors, the lights
are on the balcony. But it took a couple of hours of soldering to rewire, patience is required.

 

[Trevor Wilson]

Phil Allison wrote:

Hi to all,

a number of folk living in home units round here have decorated their
balconies with strings ( loops actually ) of tiny coloured lights -
looks great at night.

Fraid it is very far from safe though !!!!

The ones I can see up close consist of loops of 40 or so small
incandescent bulbs wired direct to a 240 volt AC plug. The
householders have fed the strings around the wrought iron railings on
their balconies. Obviously, the strings are fully exposed to the
weather and are not intended for such exposure.

Far as I can see, if at any point the insulation on the wire loop
becomes worn or punctured OR the metal bits inside a broken bulb make
contact the railing - we have a possible tragedy in the making.

In the cases I know best, the railings are not earthed and the
premises have no ELCBs installed.

Is this dangerous practice going on all over the country ??

**Well, yes. However, the vast majority of Xmas lights are (now) operated
from low Voltage transformers (>36 Volts). Sadly, not even that can save the
terminally stupid, like my next-ddor neighbour, whose party was interrupted
by a tripped ELCB last year. Fortunately, I was on hand to locate the source
of the fault (the transformer was at the end of an extension lead and
exposed to the rain). Had he placed the transformer under cover, there would
have been no problem, as most Xmas lights are rated to be used outdoors.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

 

[Metro]

"Tom" <tom@no.spam.invalid> wrote in message
news:idjlvk$v0l$1@news.eternal-september.org...

On 7/12/2010 7:12 AM, Phil Allison wrote:
Hi to all,

a number of folk living in home units round here have decorated their
balconies with strings ( loops actually ) of tiny coloured lights - looks
great at night.

Fraid it is very far from safe though !!!!

The ones I can see up close consist of loops of 40 or so small
incandescent
bulbs wired direct to a 240 volt AC plug. The householders have fed the
strings around the wrought iron railings on their balconies. Obviously,
the
strings are fully exposed to the weather and are not intended for such
exposure.

Far as I can see, if at any point the insulation on the wire loop becomes
worn or punctured OR the metal bits inside a broken bulb make contact the
railing - we have a possible tragedy in the making.

In the cases I know best, the railings are not earthed and the premises
have
no ELCBs installed.

Is this dangerous practice going on all over the country ??

It's not dangerous, it is called natural selection. Few dickheads less may
do good for this country, they been multiplying lately due to government
protection.

Tom

I note the lights on the link that you provided come with a European plug
fitted. Therefore these sets can't have been passed for use in Australia.
Also the controller has an IP rating of 44. thus unsuitable for use outside
in the elements.

Metro...

 

[Phil Allison]

"Trevor Wilson"

Phil Allison wrote:

Is this dangerous practice going on all over the country ??

**Well, yes. However, the vast majority of Xmas lights are (now) operated
from low Voltage transformers (>36 Volts).

** Any "Decorative Lighting Outfits" sold in Aussie in the past few years
are REQUIRED to be type approved to AS/NZ 60598.2.20.

But that has no effect on all the older ones or any that are privately
imported via eBay etc.

BTW

Most X-mas lighting strings ( LED or other) on sale are not rated for
outdoor use.


...... Phil

 

[Trevor Wilson]

Phil Allison wrote:

"Trevor Wilson"
Phil Allison wrote:

Is this dangerous practice going on all over the country ??

**Well, yes. However, the vast majority of Xmas lights are (now)
operated from low Voltage transformers (>36 Volts).


** Any "Decorative Lighting Outfits" sold in Aussie in the past few
years are REQUIRED to be type approved to AS/NZ 60598.2.20.

But that has no effect on all the older ones or any that are privately
imported via eBay etc.

**Indeed.

BTW

Most X-mas lighting strings ( LED or other) on sale are not rated for
outdoor use.

**Perhaps. However, I purchased three sets, from two different outlets in
the last few weeks. All three were marked as being suitable for outdoor use
(as long as the transformer and controller are mounted indoors, of course).
All three were LED systems.

BTW: They certainly appear to be suitably weather resistant, but are not
cockatoo resistant.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au