Ideas for decorative tree lights

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Pullnwire

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Electrician, Business Owner, SME and Trade Instructor
I am looking at a project that involves wrapping approx 100 40' palm trees with clear 1/2" rope light. I am not sure if we will use led or incandescent yet. There is a big difference in price. My question is, there is a bell box located within 2' of each tree, What would be a good method of getting from the box to the rope? Both styles are cord connected. Do I need a gfi for this? What if I use a single outlet with a locked in use cover? do I still need a gfi for a definite use outlet?. I am worried about nuisance tripping and trees being out on a major thouroughfare. Thanks in advance.
 
You are suppose to use gfci protection.
Chances are you WILL get nusiance tripping.
I don't use gfci protection for my x-mas lights for that reason.
 
Pullnwire said:
I am looking at a project that involves wrapping approx 100 40' palm trees with clear 1/2" rope light. I am not sure if we will use led or incandescent yet. There is a big difference in price. My question is, there is a bell box located within 2' of each tree, What would be a good method of getting from the box to the rope? Both styles are cord connected. Do I need a gfi for this? What if I use a single outlet with a locked in use cover? do I still need a gfi for a definite use outlet?. I am worried about nuisance tripping and trees being out on a major thouroughfare. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

i'm not sure of sourcing, but i seem to remember a cord cap that is
designed to go directly on the end of the vinyl rope light, so it's a
simple matter to just plug it in. it's a UL approved device.
if you don't want the lights right near the plug visible for
appearance reasons, a piece of heat shrink tube over the rope light
should be a cleaner look..... try hank's in costa mesa, as they
have a number of weatherproof rope lights in stock for the
newport beach bazillonairs who see it as reasonable to spend $50,000
on lighting for their boat for the christmas boat parade around balboa....

i'd sure be persuasive on the led's, as they are gonna draw a lot
less power, be a lot cooler, and last a bunch longer. i'd also use a
separate GFI on each of these, so nuisance tripping only takes out
a single tree.


randy
 
What I would do.

What I would do.

Now I am not a code savy as some of these old timers on this site you know the ones that helped wire jesus's house :grin: . But I would probably go under ground to each tree. 90 up at the base put a bell box. Then I would cout the cord off the roping lighting pigtail. I would then sleeve the entire pigtail with some non-metalic sealtight. Once you are to your first light that's good, then connect to top of bell box in thread hole. For water protection at the other end use silcone to take up the space between the edged of the seal tight and the wire. Hardwire this into box with blank cover. Then install GFI Breaker.
 
Aledrell said:
Now I am not a code savy as some of these old timers on this site you know the ones that helped wire jesus's house :grin: . But I would probably go under ground to each tree. 90 up at the base put a bell box. Then I would cout the cord off the roping lighting pigtail. I would then sleeve the entire pigtail with some non-metalic sealtight. Once you are to your first light that's good, then connect to top of bell box in thread hole. For water protection at the other end use silcone to take up the space between the edged of the seal tight and the wire. Hardwire this into box with blank cover. Then install GFI Breaker.
Click to expand...

sounds better than my idea...... hire that man....;)

randy
 
Leave the trees alone. They are not intended to be illuminated and it creates another form of light polution, not to mention wastes immense amounts of energy.
 
Fulthrotl said:
i'm not sure of sourcing, but i seem to remember a cord cap that is
designed to go directly on the end of the vinyl rope light, so it's a
simple matter to just plug it in. it's a UL approved device.
if you don't want the lights right near the plug visible for
appearance reasons, a piece of heat shrink tube over the rope light
should be a cleaner look..... try hank's in costa mesa, as they
have a number of weatherproof rope lights in stock for the
newport beach bazillonairs who see it as reasonable to spend $50,000
on lighting for their boat for the christmas boat parade around balboa....

i'd sure be persuasive on the led's, as they are gonna draw a lot
less power, be a lot cooler, and last a bunch longer. i'd also use a
separate GFI on each of these, so nuisance tripping only takes out
a single tree.


randy
Click to expand...

Randy,
Thanks for the idea, I might stop in at Hanks and look. I know that this particular brand of rope that I was looking at came with three 6' pigtails per spool, with the rectifiers built in. The 120 volt led's run at 120VDC. So, it should be easy to plug the lights right in. I was going to use heat shrink on all the connections as well.
 
bphgravity said:
Leave the trees alone. They are not intended to be illuminated and it creates another form of light polution, not to mention wastes immense amounts of energy.
Click to expand...

Are you saying that I should turn down a good paying job that could turn into future work with a municipality? I dont think so. Too many lights on palm trees in Fl.?
 
Last edited:
bphgravity said:
Leave the trees alone. They are not intended to be illuminated and it creates another form of light polution, not to mention wastes immense amounts of energy.
Click to expand...

I'm surprised that California with all its myriad of energy codes has not legislated that practice out of existence.
 
Aledrell said:
Now I am not a code savy as some of these old timers on this site you know the ones that helped wire jesus's house :grin: . But I would probably go under ground to each tree. 90 up at the base put a bell box. Then I would cout the cord off the roping lighting pigtail. I would then sleeve the entire pigtail with some non-metalic sealtight. Once you are to your first light that's good, then connect to top of bell box in thread hole. For water protection at the other end use silcone to take up the space between the edged of the seal tight and the wire. Hardwire this into box with blank cover. Then install GFI Breaker.
Click to expand...

I see a few minor problems with this suggestion, as first off, cutting off the cord pigtail will violate the UL listing, connecting to the TOP of the bell box WILL allow moisture from condensation in the sealtite to flow freely into the bell box, and finally no matter how well you do it, the silicone seal at the top end WILL allow water to seep past.

Having said that though, perhaps if the sealtite entered the bottom of the bell box and if one used potting compound instead of silicone, the seal would be more watertight and it would work well. As for the cutting of the cord, well..

I had to steer this thread away from the poop talk... :D
 
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