When planning your holiday lights, you probably think about decorating evergreens and not deciduous trees. But, each year, a handful of volunteers from Clark Public Utilities heads to Esther Short Park to do just that. They put the twinkly holiday trimmings on five deciduous trees in preparation for Vancouver’s annual holiday tree-lighting ceremony.
“Our volunteers have decorated the five trees in the park with LED lights in rain and shine … and always cold,” said Heather Allmain, communications services manager for the utility. “They enjoy doing it.”
You should consider LEDs for your holiday decorations, too. These bulbs last somewhere close to 20,000 hours or more. Even for the most brilliant holiday displays, that’s enough for the bulbs to burn for decades of holiday seasons without having to replace a single one. Energy Star-certified decorative holiday strings also use 50 percent less energy than conventional incandescent strands, which helps lower the cost of festivities.
Holiday LED bulbs burn cooler than their traditional counterparts as well, so they’re safer. Because the bulbs don’t get hot, there’s less risk of fire or burns. Plus they’re a solid-state technology encased in plastic — so if you step on one, there’s no glass to shatter.
LED bulbs now come in all shapes and sizes and put out as much light as comparable old-fashioned bulbs. You can choose warm or cool white light, or brightly colored strings. And because they require less energy, some strings can even run on battery power.
If you choose to buy new LED holiday strings, don’t toss the old ones in the recycling bin. At recycling centers, they can tangle up in the sorting machines and cause a safety hazard for workers. Instead, search the county’s Recycling A-Z listing (www.clark.wa.gov/recycle/recyclinga-z.html) to find out who takes old holiday lights. Some places, including Friendly Recycling, E. H. Metal Recycling and IMS Electronic, will recycle them.
Whether you have inside or outside holiday lights, it’s a good idea to turn them on only after dark when they can be best appreciated. Make sure to place both indoor and outdoor extension cords out of the flow of foot traffic so no one trips over them. And don’t staple or nail the cords, use clips instead that won’t accidentally pierce the cords and cause a safety concern.
Outside lighting displays need special attention. Put up outside electrical displays in drier weather to avoid any shocks. Check for overhead power lines before using ladders or extension tools, and stay at least 10 feet away. Use extension cords rated for outdoor use, as well as lights labeled for outside use. Don’t run electrical cords through doorways or windows because they might be damaged or cause an accident.
You’ll need to keep all electrical connections off the ground and hang any strings with sockets downward to keep water from getting inside. If you’re using incandescent bulbs, never connect more than three standard strings on each cord. For the best protection, plug outdoor lights and decorations into circuits protected by ground-fault circuit-interrupters The interrupter will shut off the lights should they short out.
This year marks the city’s 20th year of holiday lighting. An annual tradition, the event starts at 5:15 p.m. Nov. 27, with the tree lighting at 6 p.m., and features music by the Vancouver Community Band and the Vancouver Pops Orchestra. The event is in Esther Short Park, near the intersection of Columbia and Sixth streets in downtown Vancouver. For more information, visit http://rotaryfestivaloftrees.org/festival-schedule.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
