We just moved into a split level house about 40 years old. This will be our first Christmas and I cannot figure out how to put up lights because we don't seem to have any outlets outside. I could buy socket adaptor and put it on one of my outside lights but I don't know if this would be safe or not. Suggestions welcome. Not enough time to get an electrician out to put in some outside sockets.
Are light socket to outlet adapters safe for outdoor holiday lights
adaptersocket
Related Solutions
LED bulbs are extremely susceptible to voltage spikes. Mine flicker whenever I adjust incandescent dimmers on the same circuit. Welcome to the new world of energy efficiency.
If you are building from scratch, go ahead and put a wall switch next to the outlet. Then wire the wall switch so it is between the mains and the outlet.
If you just want to retrofit one outlet or so, you could add something like this to an existing socket:
This model has a local button, and also supports Z-wave for wireless switching.
Here's another version which supports Alexa/Google Home.
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Best Answer
As long as you don't overload the fixture or the circuit, those socket adapters would be OK, especially for a temporary setup like Christmas lights. The key is making sure you're not overloading anything.
Figure out what else is on the circuit with the outside light, and what size breaker protects that circuit. Figure out what size wire is used inside the light - this will typically be smaller than the #14 used in lighting circuits. Determine the current capacity of that smaller wire, and keep the total load less than that capacity. Using LED bulbs will allow you to run more lights this way.
Of course, using an actual receptacle is the preferred option, so make sure you don't have any outside. Check around the AC unit for a receptacle, and near each entry door. Check in your garage (including on the ceiling, where an opener may be plugged in). Running extension cords all over is quite normal during the holidays.
You may prefer to run an extension cord from inside; just make sure that it isn't crushed when closing the window or door it passes through.