Removing fairy lights from a chain.

[2gbmum]

I can't imagine anyone's ever asked this before but I need some fairy lights with a lot of wire between the lights.

I am thinking to buy some of the plug in/bulb (as opposed to solar/LED) variety and then cutting out some of the bulbs and just twisting the wire together to create a longer string between bulbs.

Will this work? I know that if one bulb goes on a string, you used to have to replace it or the whole string wouldn't work. Sometimes we'd put some tin foil in the broken bulb socket to make the connection and this would work so I'm working on the principle that removing the bulb holder and twisting the wires together would keep the connection OK.

Does anyone know? I don't want to cut what lights I have only to find that it's not 'electrically technically' possible.

[rojash]

The reason that the lights stop working when one dies is that they are connected in series. Each time you remove a bulb and replace it with a straight through connection (whether wire or tinfoil) you'll be increasing the power to each of the other bulbs. Do that with a few, and the remainder will overload and burn out. Do it with a lot, and there's a real risk of the wiring overheating and catching fire.

[2gbmum]

Thanks rojash. I'll only be using them for a short while on a photographic shoot but I need the lights to be stratgeically placed. So. . .if I'm understanding you correctly - it should work if I remove some lights and just join the wires together?

[ChuckFickens]

No...

It will very likely start blowing bulbs very quickly if you do that.

If you really must do it cut the wires between the lights and add an extension in the middle but keep the same amount of lights in the string overall.

[Old_Geezer]

Aye, maybe buy 2 strings, connect the end of one to the start of the next, and then you could remove every other bulb, short the holder across, and stiill have the same voltage drop across each that the bulb is deisgned for.

But I can't believe there isn't a better way. Heck you could cut between each bulb and add a length of extension in that way you'd have the same again but longer. Surely someone sells what you want though ? Or maybe buy single lamps run on battery, or something ?

[rojash]

"if I'm understanding you correctly - it should work if I remove some lights and just join the wires together?"

I really don't know why I bother...

[ChuckFickens]

Did anyone just hear a funny little noise? no idea what it was.

[Canary42]

What you are proposing is potentially dangerous, possibly against IEE Regulations, and will certainly invalidate any fire/accident/life/liability insurance you may have.

[rowanwitch]

Perhaps a lighting company could make you a set to your requirements in return for a credit on the pics