Light Limits

Calculator / Wattage chart

Reference

What every type of light actually draws

Typical figures for planning. The number printed on your box beats anything on this page — products vary, and these are midpoints of a range.

Watts and amps by light type

TypeWattsCurrentNotes
LED mini string, 100 lights4–6 W0.04 A at 120 VThe workhorse. Hundreds can share a circuit.
Incandescent mini string, 10040–50 W0.38 A at 120 VRoughly nine times the LED draw.
LED C9 string, 25 bulbs18–20 W0.16 A at 120 VAbout 0.8 W per bulb.
Incandescent C9 string, 25175 W1.46 A at 120 V7 W per bulb. Three sets fill a 3 A UK plug fuse.
LED C7 string, 25 bulbs13–15 W0.12 A at 120 VAbout 0.6 W per bulb.
Incandescent C7 string, 25125 W1.04 A at 120 V5 W per bulb.
LED icicle set, 300 lights12–18 W0.13 A at 120 VLong sets, small draw.
Incandescent icicle, 10040 W0.33 A at 120 VNot 5,500 W, whatever you may have read.
LED net light, 4 ft × 6 ft10–15 W0.10 A at 120 VSized for hedges and shrubs.
Incandescent net light, 4 ft × 6 ft144–192 W1.4 A at 120 VOne of the heaviest common items.
LED rope light, per 10 ft8–12 W0.08 A at 120 VAbout 1 W per foot.
Incandescent rope light, per 10 ft50–60 W0.46 A at 120 V5–6 W per foot.
Inflatable, small40–70 W0.46 A at 120 VMostly the fan, which runs continuously.
Inflatable, large100–150 W1.04 A at 120 VCheck the tag — they vary widely.
Laser or LED projector20–40 W0.25 A at 120 VSmall draw, but often on a long cord.

How to use these

Find your type, take the wattage, multiply by how many sets you have. That total is what goes against your circuit limit.

For the chain limit, work the other way: divide the chain limit by the wattage of one set to get how many can be joined end to end. At 210 watts, a 40 watt incandescent set gives five; a 5 watt LED set gives forty-two.

Current is shown at 120 volts. At 230 volts, halve it.