Your Guide To Installing Your LED Rope Light

During Christmas, you might see the local park glowing with ethereal lights at night. Often, the designers wind a rope light around a trunk or branches. You might also notice some rope lights wound around a streetlight pole or fence.

A rope light has many more aesthetic uses. It’s easy to appreciate the large picture when you place rope lights in the perfect places. They make great accents in gardens and added lighting for weddings.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to hang rope lights the safe and correct way. Read on below for the steps on rope light installation as well as some tips for it. We’ve also included some typical and creative examples of the use of rope lights.

1. What Is a Rope Light Used For?

Rope light is a lighting fixture used most often for decorative purposes. It’s made of small LED light bulbs linked together in a PVC jacket. In essence, it’s a string of many small bulbs in a clear and bendable tube.

Don’t confuse a rope light with an LED strip. The bulbs of LED strip lights are on a flexible circuit board. They are also much brighter and smaller.

If you’re looking for energy-saving and decorative lighting, use an LED rope light. LED lights use at least 75% less energy and last up to 25 times longer. Compared to incandescent lights, LED light provides more light as well.

Different Uses of Rope Lights

One of the most common uses of rope lights is Christmas lighting. You might have seen some houses in your neighborhood that have short light shows. There’s a big chance that their décor includes rope lights. 

Another creative use of lights is for accent lighting. Even when it’s not the holidays, you can still light up your home to give it a wonderful glow. If you have a shop, install lights within glass display cabinets to give attention to display products.

If you go to the theaters, you’ll notice the walk paths and stairs lit up with lights. Do the same in your home theater or garden to avoid accidents in the dark. If you want to keep the area dim, use warm-colored lights.

Prepare your meals under good lighting. Do your kitchen lights reach the countertop or under a cabinet? If they don’t, install lights under your countertop. 

Rope lights also work well as indirect mood lighting. Install it behind concealing trim work with the top open to the ceiling.

Do you have a porch you want to give a little more flair to?

Even during nighttime, rope lights can give off enough light to read by. Plus, they don’t attract bugs and have no bright spots. 

2. Preparing a Rope Light

Before you begin the rope light installation process, check the product you bought. Most rope light sets have a power cord and an end cap. If the set you bought doesn’t have these parts, you can buy them.

Make sure they fit well with your rope light set. Price shouldn’t be a problem since these parts are cheap and easy to install.

Also, before you install the lights, it’s smart to plan the project. Choose where you want to install the lights and make sure you have the right measurement of ropes. You can cut the rope on the marked locations if you think it’s too long.

Take your light and your end cap. Push the end cap onto one end to install it onto your light. Push the power cord on in the same way.

The prongs inside the power cord should come into contact with the wires inside the rope lighting.

Look for the splice connectors, which splice sections of rope together. If you need to use connectors, slide the collards over the ends you’re connecting. Line up the wire holes and then insert the pointed end of the pin into the rope ends.

Now, place the split end fittings over the pins and screw the collars on the split ends. Make sure you secure the end cap on the opposite end of the rope.

3. How to Install a Rope Light in a Room

Before you proceed, make sure to never install while they’re plugged in. If you’re unsure where to cut, look for the marked locations. Cut them only from there and never anywhere else.

Now, you’re ready to install the lights in the room. Mount clips or wire holders onto the wall or ceiling where you plan to place the rope light. Make sure to space the clips every 3-4 inches to prevent sagging rope lights. 

When the clips are ready, insert or snap the lights into the clips. Make sure to keep the power cord end by an outlet. Now, you’re ready to plug it in and light up one of the best room decorations.

If you’re doing this on stairs, make sure the lights are closer towards the wall than the steps. If you plan to install outside of your house, the same process goes. The difference is to make sure that the power cord and outlet are always protected from the elements.

4. Tips for Installing Rope Lights

Plan out how you’ll place the ropes in the room several times. A good layout is to make sure the power cord is close to an electrical outlet. This way, you won’t have much difficulty powering it up.

When you cut, make sure that the cut is clean and vertical. Try to bend the rope to the left a couple of inches from the end. Trim off any excess wires that protrude and do the same with the right side.

 It’s possible to connect several lights, too. Some products allow you to connect up to five 30-foot sections together. 

If you want to get more light from an LED rope light, choose a cool white color. The cool white color gives more compared to warm white.

In 2017, the average American household consumed 876 kWh per month. LED lights are great for energy cost savings. Make sure that not only your rope lighting but your other fixtures use LED bulbs.

Beautify Your Home

That’s it for our guide on how you install a rope light into a room. Now, you’re ready to create the perfect aesthetic for your ideal home or room. Remember to read any safety precautions and manual a rope light kit may come with.

If you enjoyed this post on how to install rope lights, you may enjoy our other blog posts, too. Visit our blog and expand your knowledge. If you have any questions on lighting, contact us here.