Incandescent Christmas lights are designed to last around 1,000 to 2,000 hours under normal usage conditions. Traditional incandescent lights tend to have a lifespan of around 4 to 6 years. When plugged in continuously, you can expect these incandescent Christmas lights to last around 80 to 83 days.
Incandescent Christmas lights have long been treated as a holiday decoration staple. In earlier days, people simply could not even think of celebrating Christmas without the warm and inviting glow of these traditional Incandescent lights. These soft twinkling lights helped create a festive atmosphere and thus made them an ideal choice for many a family around the world.
Understanding the Lifespan of Incandescent Christmas Lights
As we have already mentioned, the typical lifespan of incandescent Christmas lights is around 2000 hours. So that means, if you keep your Christmas lights on for say, 6 hours a day for the entire holiday season, these incandescent Christmas lights could last at least 2 seasons before, they start showing any signs of wear and tear. However, this is just a guesstimate, as we are assuming these lights will not be exposed to extreme conditions, which, unfortunately, is not always the case. More often than not, these lights are treated harshly and which could have a negative impact on their lifespan.
Factors Influencing the Lifespan
01. Frequency
The longer you use these incandescent Christmas lights, the faster they will wear out. It is as simple as that. Try not to keep them on for an extended period of time because that would adversely affect their lifespan. Try to keep their daily usage below 8 hours if you wish to maintain them in good working condition for the next season.
02. Environmental Factors
Incandescent Christmas Lights are highly sensitive to changes in the temperature. Humidity and temperature fluctuations are the two factors that have a direct impact on the lifespan of an Incandescent Christmas Light. Freezing temperatures or damp weather can also have an adverse impact on the lifespan of Incandescent Christmas Lights.
It is always a bad idea to keep the Incandescent Christmas Lights near heaters or fireplaces because the filaments inside those lights are very fragile in nature and can break down at any point of time. Christmas light installation experts always suggest keeping Incandescent Christmas Lights away from heat since it can cause the bulbs to overheat, which in turn may cause the tree branches to dry out.
03. Bulb Quality
It goes without saying that cheap Christmas light bulbs that are commonly available on the internet don’t last long. Basically, you need to opt for decent quality Incandescent Christmas Lights that have gone through rigorous testing during the production process.
Maintenance Tips to Prolong Lifespan
There are ways to maximize the lifespan of your Incandescent Christmas Lights, let’s check them out:
Regular Inspection
After use, you need to carefully check the lights and if you spot any signs of wear or tear, you need to replace them immediately because a single faulty Incandescent Christmas Light can cause the whole string to malfunction and it could lead to a potential safety hazard. In some extreme cases, a single malfunctioning Incandescent Christmas Light can lead to issues like electrical short circuits or overheating.
Safe Operation
Better safe than sorry. It always makes sense to make use of a surge protector as it stands guard against voltage spikes. Always try to avoid overloading the electrical circuits because an overheated circuit can cause overheating and which in turn, might cause premature burnout of the bulbs.
Proper Storage
Once the festive season is over, you need to store the lights in a good protective container. Don’t make the mistake of wrapping the cords tightly because more often than not, it can cause internal wire damage.
