Heath Eastman helps a homeowner safely install a variety of Christmas lights. He installs a GFCI outdoor outlet and protects it with an expandable weatherproof In-Use cover. Heath secures an icicle string light set to the roofline using universal shingle/gutter light clips.
Along the tree Heath protects extension cords with outdoor extension cord covers. To turn all the lights on and off at the right times, he uses a timer.
In order to safely plug in the outdoor lights, Heath installed a GFCI outdoor outlet and protected it using an Expandable Weatherproof In-Use Cover, which is manufactured by TayMac.
Pro Tip: This Old House electrical contractor Paul Kennedy suggests that rather than installing a GFCI outlet on the exterior box, homeowners should consider installing a GFCI breaker at the panel inside the home. As Kennedy explains, even after GFCI outlets are fitted with weatherproof covers, “moisture gets in them and there are a lot of false trips.” A breaker installed inside the house is less likely to be affected by the elements.
Along the roofline, Heath installed String-A-Long 300 Light Clear Icicle Light set, which is manufactured by the General Electric Company. To secure the lights to the roofline, Heath used universal shingle/gutter light clips, which can be found at The Home Depot.
Clip Technique: During the project, Heath demonstrated how to properly secure icicle lights along the gutter: “This little special clip actually clips on to the lamp… and then this piece will slide over the front of the gutter and hold everything in place.” He recommended spacing the clips about every foot to keep the lights nice and straight before moving on to the next set.
Along the tree, Heath hung White Tube Snowflake Lights, which are also available at The Home Depot. For the shrubs and the light post, Heath added 150-Light 4×6′ Net Lights, which are manufactured by Brite Star and available at The Home Depot.
Protect Your Connections from Moisture: According to This Old House Magazine, you should cover the male and female ends of light strands with electrical tape or encase them in plastic freezer bags to help keep water out. To prevent ice buildup, position the connections between light strands in a way that lets air circulate around them. For lights hung on trees, use electrical tape to secure connectors to the trunk a few feet above the ground to keep them out of runoff that might pond there.
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The extension cords to connect all the lights together are just general outdoor-rated extension cords. To protect the extension cords where they come together, Heath enclosed them in Cord Protect Outdoor Extension Cord Covers, which are manufactured by Twist and Seal and available at The Home Depot.
Why Cord Protection Matters: As Heath explains, the cord protector serves a critical function: “This cord protector will help keep the moisture out of the connection between the extension cords.” Moisture infiltrating electrical connections is a common cause of shorts and tripped breakers during the holiday season, so don’t skip this step.
To connect all the extension cords together and program them to turn on/off at the appropriate times, Heath plugged them into an Outdoor Stake Timer, which is also manufactured by the General Electric Company.
Pro Tip: Heath emphasizes the convenience of the timer setup: “The nice part is we installed that timer. So it turns on and off on its own. You don’t have to worry about turning it off at night in case you forget.”
Expert assistance with this segment was provided by Eaton and Eastman Electric.
