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Author Topic: feds to regulate Christmas lights  (Read 7179 times)

Frank DeWitt

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feds to regulate Christmas lights
« on: May 05, 2015, 10:52:25 AM »

We will be a lot safer now.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/05/feds-to-regulate-christmas-lights/

I suspect that by next year we will see a lot of low voltage strings running off wall warts.  I think that would be a good thing.  I notice a lot of commercial buildings running Christmas lights year around.  the wiring for these lights is clearly not up to the task of being wrapped around a out door railing for years at a time.
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Mike Sokol

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Re: feds to regulate Christmas lights
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2015, 11:14:53 AM »

We will be a lot safer now.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/05/feds-to-regulate-christmas-lights/

I suspect that by next year we will see a lot of low voltage strings running off wall warts.  I think that would be a good thing.  I notice a lot of commercial buildings running Christmas lights year around.  the wiring for these lights is clearly not up to the task of being wrapped around a out door railing for years at a time.

If you think about it, wrapping a wire around a metal fence rail that's directly connected to 120-volt power is a bad idea. I'm pretty sure that most residential fences and porch rails are NOT bonded to ground, so it's a hot-chassis condition waiting to happen. Of course, these should be plugged into GFCI outlets to begin with, but I'm not sure how you guarantee that either. Perhaps 12-volt Wall Warts are the way to go with this, just like outside sidewalk lighting.

John Roberts {JR}

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Re: feds to regulate Christmas lights
« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2015, 11:29:22 AM »

CPSC is trying to justify their existence. Christmas lights have already been vetted by UL and there are 0.9 deaths per year. I'm not sure how you get less than one death... but this doesn't seem like an important problem.

They have too much time (and tax dollars) on their hands.

 JR

PS: More people die from storming community centers in Garland TX with assault rifles. 
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Frank DeWitt

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Re: feds to regulate Christmas lights
« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2015, 11:59:07 AM »

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Tim McCulloch

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Re: feds to regulate Christmas lights
« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2015, 12:05:39 PM »

But if it saves just .9 lives....
http://overlawyered.com/2014/11/cpsc-holiday-lights/

The "value" of a human life in the USA is around $4m these days... and I'm sure the surviving family members don't care if uncle Fred was 0.9 or 1.0 if he's dead.
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Frank DeWitt

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Re: feds to regulate Christmas lights
« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2015, 01:19:47 PM »

The "value" of a human life in the USA is around $4m these days... and I'm sure the surviving family members don't care if uncle Fred was 0.9 or 1.0 if he's dead.

I agree, but I would prefer uncle Fred to look at the string and say "this stuff is junk' I won't use it." 

My safety is my responsibility.
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Steve M Smith

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Re: feds to regulate Christmas lights
« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2015, 02:22:32 PM »

I'm pretty sure that most residential fences and porch rails are NOT bonded to ground


Not domestic, but over here, all exposed metalwork such as railings on public buildings appear to be grounded.



Steve.
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John Roberts {JR}

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Re: feds to regulate Christmas lights
« Reply #7 on: May 05, 2015, 02:52:00 PM »

I agree, but I would prefer uncle Fred to look at the string and say "this stuff is junk' I won't use it." 

My safety is my responsibility.

There is a place for regulation, but this has already been addressed, probably more than once by UL.

It's not like we're balancing lit candles on highly flammable tree branches.

JR
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Stephen Swaffer

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Re: feds to regulate Christmas lights
« Reply #8 on: May 05, 2015, 03:35:29 PM »

I'm guessing the market would self correct this in fairly short order with LEDs which are a natural for 12 VDC supply.  Perhaps LED suppliers behind the push-to keep demand/pricing up?
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Frank DeWitt

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Re: feds to regulate Christmas lights
« Reply #9 on: May 05, 2015, 04:52:39 PM »

Depending on how the law is written, I suspect that we will see strings of 12 volt LED lights clearly marked not for use on Holiday trees.

A 12 volt supply might be sold separately. 

The law already has an exemption for solar powered lights. Of coarse, they are not solar powered but powered from a battery that is charged with solar cells.  It will be fun to watch.
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Re: feds to regulate Christmas lights
« Reply #9 on: May 05, 2015, 04:52:39 PM »


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