LED Holiday Lights: 6 Need-to-Know Tips
By: G. M. Filisko
Published: December 10, 2010
LED holiday lights vs. old-fashioned bulbs: 6 tips to help you decide which is right for you.
1. LED holiday lights save you money. LED lights use at least 90% less energy than traditional holiday lights, according to the U.S. government’s Energy Star program.
That results in a $50 energy savings for the average family during the holidays, says Avital Binshtock of the Sierra Club in San Francisco.
Put it into perspective: The amount of electricity consumed by one 7-watt incandescent bulb could power 140 LEDs—enough to light two 24-foot strings, says Energy Star.
2. But LED lights typically cost more than old-fashioned holiday lights.
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GE 100-bulb string of Energy Star-certified LED white lights: $18.97 at Lowe’s
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GE 100-bulb string of conventional white lights: $8.97
But shop around because a growing number of retailers are offering sales on LED holiday lights and, if you can’t find a sale before the holidays, you can certainly find one after. Plus, prices will surely go down as these lights gain traction.
3. LED holiday lights last and last. LED bulbs can keep your season bright for as long as 100,000 hours, says Cathy Choi, president of Moonachie, N.J.-based Bulbrite, which manufactures LED and regular bulbs. That’s substantially longer than the life of your old holiday light strings.
4. You can string a BIG strand of LED lights. Safety wise, you shouldn’t connect more than three traditional light strings, but you can connect up to 87 LED holiday light strings, totaling a whopping 1,500 feet, Choi says. So blow your neighbor's display away by cocooning your house in lights:
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You won’t have to buy as many extension cords.
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You can take your holiday lighting display further away from the outlet.
5. LED lights reduce the risk of fire. They stay cooler than incandescent bulbs, according to Energy Star.
6. How about that hue? Some people stick with their old lights because they don’t like the brighter hue that white LED holiday lights emit. But Choi says manufacturers now offer a “warm white” bulb that more closely mimics the glow of an incandescent light. Be sure to read the label to choose a bright or warm white and to ensure what you’re purchasing is Energy Star-certified.
Colored and color-changing LED holiday lights are more vibrant than conventional lights, making your display easier to see from the street, Choi says.
Condo Rules and Regulations, HOAs, and Your Holiday Displays
By: Marcia Jedd
Published: December 10, 2010
Check your condo rules before you put up that menorah or Santa decoration, or you might find yourself taking your holiday decorations down a lot sooner than you planned.
I want to flout condo rules and put up holiday decorations despite an HOA rule banning them. What’s going to happen to me?
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Option 1: Nothing may happen because the HOA rules aren’t enforced.
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Option 2: You might get a letter asking you to take down your decor.
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Option 3: You might get fined for breaking condo rules.
Constructive ways to balance your need to deck the halls with condo rules that ban decorations:
Talk to your neighbors. If it’s your first holiday in your new home, check with your neighbors to find out what's really allowed. Condos that ban lights and signage most of the year may ignore illegal decorations during the holiday season. "But do understand these rules and regulations are enforceable by boards of corporations that are created contractually," Poliakoff says.
Take your holiday case to the board. Call the president and ask if you can speak at the next meeting. Show up with a short written proposal to modify the HOA rules to allow specific kinds of decorations, like lights on balconies or door wreaths.
"Don't criticize or start calling anyone names. Suggest to your board they amend their rules to allow for holiday decorations within limits," Poliakoff says. Offer to write an email or letter outlining a holiday decorating exception that runs during a set period like Dec. 15 to Jan. 1.
Check state laws on condo rules. Got no satisfaction from your trip to the condo board? You might be able to appeal to a higher authority. Some states have a large body of home owners association laws that may override HOA rules in certain instances, while other states have few home owners association laws.
"There are laws in some states that do allow the display of items such as religious items or wreaths," Poliakoff says.
If you can argue state law, sharing a copy of the law with the condo rule-makers may get them to change their minds about holiday decorations. If it doesn’t, you can consult a lawyer to find out about how much it will cost to sue your condo board to force it to follow state laws.
