How to protect your holiday lights from rain and snow

Outdoor holiday lighting displays are an essential part of the season for many people, bringing a little extra brightness to the long winter. NightStringing together multiple strands of lights is often the best way to achieve the desired look. melting ice, Snow gets inside the connector. This can pop a breaker and ruin your display, not to mention wreaking havoc on your indoor electrical installation. There are some easy ways to keep it in good condition and keep it working..

Keep the plug off the ground and dry

The best way to keep the plug dry is to keep it off the ground.If you have a way to attach them to fence posts, porches, or other structures, that’s the best way to keep them dry. measure first Distance required for cord length Make this part easier when you start setting up your displayIf it is not possible to keep them off the ground, metersbe sure to check Replace the connectors every few days to ensure they are dry and showing no signs of wear.

protect the connector plastic container

To make a dry box out of plastic food storage containers, you’ll need a drill and a bit the same size as your cord. As well as utility knives and containers with lids. Use a drill to drill holes 1 to 2 inches from the top on each end of the container. Then use a utility knife to cut a slit from the top edge of the container down to the hole.Once you’ve done that, twist the plastic so it’s wide enough to slide the cord through the hole, and place the end of the plug in the middle. Then put the lid back on and put the whole thing together. This type of dry box is not meant to be completely submerged, but it can keep out water from rain and snow.

use old inner tube

To make a drybox out of an old bicycle inner tube, you’ll need a tube and some scissors. 6- cut up to eightRemove the inch section from the tube and place it on one end of the cord. Plug in the other end and stretch the tubing over the connection. If the fit is not tight, you can use zip ties to snug the ends of the inner tube up to the cords on both sides of the plug. The advantage of this method is that it is slightly more tolerant of movement. Around it is a hard-to-reach plug-through.

use ziplock bags

If you don’t have extra containers or tubing, you can also use a plastic bag to keep the plug dry. and it works well in a pinch. The bag will not be dragged or stepped on. But because You can pierce the bag and let the moisture inside.In that case, your dry the bag is Wet Hitting moisture near the connector can damage it.

Use insulating tape or shrink wrap

For low tech, For dry plug connections, wrap electrical tape around the plug to ensure the connection is snug before wrapping.If the tape slips between the sides of the plug, it can heat up over time and cause a fire or short circuit. You can also use shrink wrap for this method, taking the same precautions. The drawback of this method is that the protective layer must be destroyed in order to unplug the light. So it’s not a functional method if you have to plug and unplug the lights regularly. Additionally, this is his one-time system, not one that can be reused year after year.