Christmas lighting

Every year during the winter and Christmas season, numerous fairy lights in all shapes and colors decorate our homes and create a cozy atmosphere. Despite all the beauty and contemplation, there are a few things you should bear in mind when using fairy lights or outdoor lighting. We provide tips on how you can minimize the risk of fires and electric shocks.

Many Christmas enthusiasts are now turning to electric fairy lights instead of real candles for their tree lighting, as this supposedly allows them to leave the illuminated tree unobserved. While it is true that electric tree lighting requires less supervision than real candles, you should still be careful. Fairy lights that are not fitted with LEDs can still generate heat and ignite a dry Christmas tree after the festivities. Only use the fairy lights when necessary and do not leave them unattended on the power supply.

To ensure that there are no nasty surprises at Christmas, safety should always be a priority when buying your Christmas lights.

Make sure that the fairy lights are marked with a test mark from an independent testing institute, such as the VDE GS mark.
Clear manufacturer information, warnings and instructions for use should also be available.
A "CE marking" does not provide any information about the safety of the appliance. It merely confirms the manufacturer's safety, but this can be misused.
Make sure that the fairy lights are in perfect condition.
Fairy lights with thin or even broken insulation can quickly become a source of fire on the Christmas tree.
Lights or other lighting products should also have a functioning bulb socket.
Special care is important when installing fairy lights in the children's room. Only use fairy lights with safety extra-low voltage (up to 24 volts) or battery operation.
When replacing a light bulb, you must take into account the wattage and voltage of the bulb.
Only use fairy lights designed for outdoor use.

Christmas lighting with LEDs: safe and inexpensive

Shutterstock/Viktor Gladkov

Fairy lights with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) consume up to five times less electricity and generate considerably less heat than fairy lights with conventional light bulbs. Due to the low voltage, the risk of fire is very low. In the event of a short circuit, the maximum that could occur is a malfunction.

Therefore, replace old fairy lights and those that you notice are damaged with LED fairy lights. This way you can enjoy your Christmas lights without any worries and also save on electricity costs. However, bear in mind the compensation effect and consider whether and how many fairy lights you want to install because of the cost savings.

Christmas lights for outdoors

Ein Mann hängt Lichter an der Außenseite eines Hauses auf

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There are special fairy lights for outdoor use that are wind and weatherproof and can be operated for a prolonged period of time. Look out for information such as "outdoor light chain" or "suitable for outdoor use" on the packaging.

Furthermore, the abbreviation IP44 for the "splash-proof" protection class is absolutely essential. If the fairy lights are only suitable for indoor use (indicated by the house symbol), they must not be used outdoors under any circumstances.

If you use outdoor lighting, you should also have a suitable outdoor socket that has the necessary IP protection class. These are usually specially protected against splashing water and rain and have an additional cover or seal to ensure trouble-free use. The plugs also offer increased sealing thanks to a special shape or plug-in device, for example.

There are also separate extension cables for outdoor lighting, which also meet the requirements of the weather conditions. Do not use conventional cables for this!

Exclusion of liability/disclaimer

VDE Verband der Elektrotechnik Elektronik Informationstechnik e.V. and its affiliated companies (hereinafter each “VDE”) provide non-binding information on consumer protection topics. These publications are intended solely to raise general awareness of consumer protection in relation to electrotechnical products and issues. They expressly do not constitute professional or technical advice. The information is provided the best of one's knowledge and belief without having evaluated the actual conditions at a specific location or of a specific product.

While VDE makes every reasonable effort to ensure that the information is correct and complete, it cannot assume liability nor any warranty (neither explicitly nor implicitly) for the correctness, completeness or topicality of the content of the information provided.

The information may only be applied with the understanding that VDE cannot be held liable for any direct or indirect damage or loss of any kind. The use of the information provided does not release the user from the responsibility for his/her own actions and is therefore at his/her own risk.

Product-/Model-specific manufacturer specifications must be observed.