The Mechanics Behind LED Rope Lights: How They're Made

Residential LED lights use a minimum of 75% less energy than incandescent lighting. It should come as no surprise that many people are looking at LED lights as their main source of lighting in and around their homes.

LED lighting options are some of the most efficient, cost-friendly, and technologically advanced lights available on the market. 

Are you curious about LED rope lights and how you can use them around the house? LED rope lights aren't that bright, but they are a great way to emphasize part of your home or add mood lighting to an area. 

If you want to learn more about LED rope lights, keep reading below.

What Are LED Rope Lights? 

Rope lighting is a type of light made with clear tubing. Generally, the use for these lights is either as an indoor or outdoor decorative light. 

Many people use it to wrap around trees or poles, line a fencing section, or even as holiday lighting.

Rope lights are usually in a clear tubing, but the tubing can come in different colors as well. There are many little lights inside the tube that light the whole piece and make it look like a cohesive unit. 

Rope lighting is great for many purposes because it is water-resistant, can change colors, and is flexible. You can get this lighting type with batteries, or there are options powered by solar energy.

If a bulb burns out, you can remove the part with the dead bulb and attach a new rope onto the end to replace it. 

You can even use a dimmer with these lights if you want to! They are a great choice for any home.

Difference Between LED Rope Lights and LED Strip Lights

LED strip lights aren't the same as LED rope lights even though they are similar. 

Strip lights are newer than rope lights and can be viewed as another style type that people can choose from. Typically, strip lights have sticky tape on one side and many tiny lights on the other side. 

Strip lights are also flat, unlike rope lights, so they can fit into thinner spaces and can be shaped in different ways. LED strip lights are also bright enough that they can be used as a main source of lighting, unlike rope lighting. 

Since the invention of strip lights, rope lighting is more often used for outdoor projects and strip lights are more often used indoors. 

You can use strip lights in some common areas, like behind a television, in the shower, underneath a cabinet, or in an indoor garden. Because LED strip lights are a stronger source of lighting than LED rope lights, they consume more energy.

If you need lights that are able to stick to something with the adhesive, strip lights are the way to go. However, for many other applications, the rope lighting option may be better. 

How Are LED Rope Lights Made?

Manufacturers make rope lighting in a factory and a few different parts are within the actual rope lighting. 

Rope lights are made of many LED bulbs evenly spaced on wires. These wires and lights are then placed inside the plastic tubing, which is usually made of PVC.

In the past, incandescent bulbs were commonly placed in rope lights. Now that LED lights are found to be more efficient, they are the popular choice.

One thing that is special about rope lights as they are made is that they are divided into separated sections and wired in series-parallel. The reason for this is so that when a bulb eventually fails, the whole set of lighting isn't going to fail as well. 

As we said before, you can cut rope lights and splice them together when a bulb dies. This makes it easier to lengthen the life of your rope light so that you can use it again and again.

Typically, you will find small marks on the outside of the roping that show where you can safely cut the roping without damaging the inner wires. 

How Can These Lights Be Used At Home?

If you'd like to use your rope lighting indoors, there are certain ideas that can help you brighten up the look of a space. 

You can add a rope light to the back of a bedframe to provide backlighting for a nice, subtle effect. 

Another idea is to line the top of a doorframe with rope lighting to emphasize a specific entryway. 

If you have a balcony, rope lighting is a great way to add some soft lighting to the area so that you can enjoy your outdoor space. Simply wrap it around the fenced-in edge. 

You may have a larger outdoor space, like a patio or even a deck. If so, rope lighting can be used there as well in a similar way. 

Another option is to use a combination of outdoor LED strip lights and LED rope lighting to create a new effect in your outdoor hangout spot. 

If you're a gardener, you can even make your own heat mat for starting seeds.

Get Your LED Rope Lights Today

As you can see, LED rope lights are a great type of lighting for your home because they have many practical uses.

No matter what type of style your home has, you'll be able to find a great spot for these lights. 

If you're interested in buying your own set of rope lights, or any other type of lights, we have you covered. Check out our selection of rope lights and find the one that will make your home shine!