Anyone use rope lighting? (1 Viewer)

[Michael*K]

Seems more and more common these days to see rope lighting being used year-round, instead of just for holidays. I love the stuff...it's so easy to bend and thread into difficult areas. The question I have is whether it's safe or not to have different lengths coming into contact with one another. The packaging usually says not to let the lighting come into contact with itself by twisting it or doubling back over itself. But the displays I see in the stores always have different colors twisted together and those displays are lit 10-12 hours a day, minimum. So what's the deal? Anyone here have strands twisted together without starting a fire or something?

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--Mike
Amazon Hot 100 DVD's

 

[Ryan Wright]

Yep. Ropelighting. I've got it in this picture, in the kitchen above the cabinets, and on another large shelf in another room. Absolutely stunning.
As for safety: It depends on your ropelight. Some get too hot. The first batch of ropelights we had (in fact, the one producing the light in this picture) were recalled because they "failed a rain test." I didn't return mine because we didn't use them outside. Then one day we smelled smoke coming from one of the lights. I pulled them all down and every strand had multiple, black burn marks from the lights. They got too hot.
We returned them under the recall and bought some new ones. The new lights run quite a bit cooler and are great. I don't see a problem with letting two ropelights touch each other; you probably wouldn't want to wrap/twist them around one another, but laying them side by side should be just fine. Just check the heat. If you can't touch them after they've been running for half an hour, they're too hot. You should be able to handle them while plugged in - they'll get warm, to be sure, but they shouldn't burn you or cause discomfort.
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-Ryan ( http://www.ryanwright.com )
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you do criticize them, you'll be a mile away and you'll have their shoes.
[Edited last by Ryan Wright on October 23, 2001 at 12:25 PM]

 

[Kelley_B]

We used to have ropelight running around the entire room at the top of the walls....it was pretty cool. We got it at target for $13

 

[Chad Isaacs]

Can you use a dimmer with rope lights?
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Chad's DVDs

 

[DougRuss]

You sure can !!
I have them in my HomeTheater room and Dim them while watching movies.

 

[NickSo]

Yeah, i have rope lights... they're so cool, add a great ambience(SP?) to a room if they're hidden well, like the image above, looks great... if they're in plain view, its tacky IMHO...
I'd love to get a couple in my HT, but my HT isnt a dedicated room, rather also my dads office, so cant do much with the room itself...
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[Michael*K]

Yeah, I wish I had a dedicated HT room to install them in. Alas, I guess I'll have to make do with using them outside the house. I also just twisted some red and blue together and have it running around my cube at work. I've been told by several people that they think it kicks ass and now they're going to buy some. Maybe I've started a trend!

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--Mike
Amazon Hot 100 DVD's

 

[Allen Hirsch]

I have a dedicated HT, with the second row of seating situated on a 4" platform.
We used rope lighting all the way around up under the edge of the platform, so the platform edge is clearly visible when guests get up and move around - they might otherwise trip or stumble in the dark. The rope lighting also gives the effect of the platform floating on light.

 

[Magnus Lindqvist]

Is it ok to use an ordinary dimmer with rope lighting or does it need to be a special one (it's 55Watts/230Volt)

I tried an ordinary one but it broke down after one hour!

Thanks in advance!

Magnus L.

 

[Wes]

I use it in my theater also and love it! Its up in the light valance I built and I can have it on to create a nice glow and still have my Front projection on with out effecting the picture.
Link Removed
Wes

 

[Magnus Lindqvist]

Wes, do you use a dimmer on your ropelight, if you do what kind of dimmer is it??

It looks like it's small regular lightbulbs so it should be an ordinary dimmer(for my ropelight that is!).

Thanks

 

[brentl]

I think most of us use the cheap stuff that uses light bulbs.

Take a look at the GOOD stuff, it uses LEDs. The stuff lasts for years, but is REALLY expensive.

Brent