Sanchez Micallef Guide to buying Christmas Fairy Lights

It might get very confusing when buying lights for Christmas. The simplest are the window decorations as you choose a silhouette or Christmas figure that you like, and hey presto you’re done.

However, if you opt for a string light the choice is quite vast. You have a choice between:

• Incandescent Rice light or Led light
• Indoor or Outdoor lights
• Battery operated or Mains operated Lights
• Length of string light  

• The light bulb size and shape
• Colour of Light bulb (multi coloured, warm white or white)
  
  

Feel free to refer to this guide to help you understand what is needed to create that magical Christmas décor.
 
Not Sure Where to begin?
Start by asking yourself these four questions:
1. Am I using the lights for indoor or outdoor use?      
2.Is there a power outlet where the lights are being installed?
3.If I need decorative lights for outdoors where are they going to be fixed?
4.What length of light do I need?
 
Am I using the lights for indoor or outdoor use?
Indoor lighting is generally classified as IP20 and is not suitable for exposure to water. Indoor lighting generally has a much thicker wire than lighting using transformers as they carry a 240V high voltage load. The thick wire protects the user from accidental wire breakage which could result in electric shock. This is something to always watch out for, if you are using Christmas lights which are plugged in to the mains directly without the use of a transformer (power adapter) make sure it looks strong and has good quality thick wiring. High quality lights can be distinguished by having markings on the wiring. For further peace of mind check for markings. Labels on electrical cable indicate the size (gauge) of the individual wires, the wire material, the number of wires contained inside the cable, the maximum voltage rating, and whether there is a ground wire present.
When it comes to outdoor lights, anything with an IP rating of 44 or upwards is suitable for outdoor use as they are built to ensure that water will not reach the electrical components.  Our Christmas lights go a step further for safety as our outdoor lights are mostly Low-Voltage ensuring that if any severe damage in the wiring happens, the users would not be at risk of an electrical shock.
 
Is there a power outlet where the lights are being installed?
Without a power socket you can’t have any lights, right? WRONG!  You can opt for our range of Solar Fairy Lights or Outdoor Battery lighting which come in various lengths, sizes and designs.

If you have a sunny enough place solar lights may light up your outdoor spaces without needing to worry about outdoor electrical points or changing batteries. These Solar Christmas Lights come in various lengths and in warm white or multicolour. They also start working automatically as soon as it gets dark and start charging as the sun is out.
When opting for battery lights most comments we hear are that battery lights do not last long, and one will spend a fortune on keeping the batteries going. That could be true of you do not buy the right battery lights. With our range of battery lights, you have a few features which will make the batteries last well through Christmas. Our Battery Christmas lights have a 4 AA waterproof battery compartment which carries a better charge than conventional battery lights. Our battery lights have an inbuilt timer function which when set-up will light the set for 6 hrs, and will automatic turn on the following day at the same time you that you had set it.
 
If I need decorative lights for outdoors where are they going to be fixed?
Outdoor lights come in many sizes, forms and shapes, and where they are going to be affixed is very important as not all lights have the same weather resistance. Outdoor lights come in two main variables either Low Voltage with PVC wiring or High Voltage with extra heavy-duty rubber wire.

Low Voltage lighting is typically cheaper than the outdoor High-Voltage alternatives, it has more lights per meter and comes with a thinner wire. This means that being IP44 it is suitable for outdoors, however the thickness of the wire determines where it should be installed.  These lights can be used around windows and doorways, small trees, gates, wreaths and garlands.

For large trees, the Heavy-Duty Rubber wire lights are ideal as they can withstand bigger stress caused by the swaying of the branches in strong wind. Additionally, the heavy-duty lighting has resin coated LED bulbs which protect them from high heat and harsh sea water making them a suitable choice in various weather conditions.  

Both string light types come in connectible models staring from 5m all the way up to 100m using just one power outlet.

Outdoor lights do not only come as string lights but span from Globe lights, Willow lights, Net Lights and also Curtain Lights which are most beautifully used hanging from roofs and balconies giving a magical Icicle or Raining effect.
 
What length of light do I need?
Simply put we need to know where the light is going. On a tree? Around a doorway or Window? Most people ask for lights by the number of bulbs, but that is a very wrong approach as different lights have different lengths for a fixed number of bulbs. The cost for 100Led lights varies according to the length of the lights, the longer the string light the higher cost, but choosing the appropriate length will save you money overall as you will not need to buy the second set to make up the length difference you require. At Sanchez Micallef Our 100 Light LEds vary between 5m or 10m.

If used on a Christmas tree our guidelines are simple. Our 140 LED Christmas Chain lights are enough for a 6ft Christmas Tree as it is around 7m long. A 7ft traditional Christmas Tree would look beautiful with a single set of 280 LED lights whilst for an 8ft Artificial Christmas tree due to the width at the base of the tree a 400LED light would look best even though 280 LED lights could be enough if one skips a branch at each full turn.
These are only guidelines as different people like different things. Some might like more lights whilst others would want to mix and match with the use of LED Candle lights or Fancy retro LED lights with different coloured shades.
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Finally, if putting lights on a tree does not work for you why not simply opt for a ready decorated Fibre optic tree which comes in various sizes from 2ft up to 7ft fully decorated with RGB Led lights.
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