Jacksonville, FL MosquitoNix Elves – Christmas Light Installation Experts

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Frequently Asked Questions About Holiday Lights

What are holiday lights called?

The phrase "holiday lights" refers to strings of electrical cords with white or colored light bulbs attached. These are also sometimes called string lights or fairy lights. They are frequently used indoors to decorate Christmas trees, as well as outdoors to illuminate trees, bushes, lampposts and more. They can blink, twinkle, fade, flutter or just stay on full brightness the whole time.

How much do professional Christmas lights cost?

How much professional Christmas lights cost depends on the size of the job. The ideal professional holiday light installers will have the know-how to give your property the look you want while offering reasonable rates. Whatever your budget, there will be holiday cheer to be found in your home or business.

When should you take down Christmas lights?

There is no hard-and-fast rule as to when your lights should come down after the holiday season. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. However, many people dismantle their light displays on January 6. This date is when the Epiphany (also known as Twelfth Night or Three Kings' Day) is commonly celebrated, marking the end of the 12 days of Christmas.

What are the best holiday light colors?

Since everyone has different tastes, there is no right answer when it comes to what the best holiday light colors are. However, some popular options include multicolored lights, with an assortment of red, yellow, blue, orange, green and other colors for a fun, lively look. Other people prefer to use only red and green lights, as red and green are traditionally associated with Christmas.

Still others prefer to use only white lights. Even white lights can vary in color; some are warm-toned for a glow that's more like candlelight, which is a throwback to the first type of light on a Christmas tree, and others are cool-toned for a glow that's more icy-looking. Traditional incandescent white light bulbs tend to be warmer-looking than white LED string lights. There is also a huge trend of only blue, so it looks like everything is in a winter wonderland.

How much do Christmas lights raise your electric bill?

How much Christmas lights raise your electric bill depends on how many lights you're using. A huge light display will cost much more to power than a small one. In addition, incandescent Christmas lights use much more electricity than LED lights. USA Today explains that an "elaborate" Christmas light display can add $350 to your monthly electricity bill when you use incandescent lights.

Luckily, an elaborate display that uses LEDs only adds $47. Similarly, a standard or average light display can add $33 to one's electric bill when using incandescent lights, but only $5 to $7 with LEDs. Your exact totals will vary (those numbers are based on electricity rates in the state of California in 2022, with decorations lit from five to eleven p.m. for every day of December). However, those figures help to illustrate that electric light displays can fit all sorts of budgets. The easy part to remember is LED lights are best for keeping costs down and those lights up.

Is it OK to leave LED Christmas lights on all night?

Powering your Christmas lights costs more the longer you leave them on, which is one reason why you might not necessarily want to keep them on overnight. However, there is also the issue of safety. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers recommendations for helping prevent fires caused by Christmas lights. One of their recommendations is to turn the lights off when you go to bed.

This goes for LED lights as well as incandescent ones, although it is true that LEDs pose less risk because they produce much less heat. Pro tip: Setting your lights on an automatic timer can help ensure they don't stay on overnight. Just set them to go off automatically every night when you typically go up to bed. We know how awesome it is to fall asleep to the twinkle of lights.

Do LED Christmas lights stay on if one burns out?

Yes, if one LED light on your string burns out, the other lights should still work - just replace the burned-out bulb when you notice it, and everything should look picture-perfect again!

Are permanent holiday lights worth it?

Permanent holiday lights are designed to stay in place all year rather than being taken down between seasons. They are usually encased in an aluminum track to help preserve and protect them. Getting built-in holiday lights installed costs more upfront than having a professional put up standard lights and take them down at the end of the season. However, when properly installed, permanent lights can usually last between six and ten years, so they can pay for themselves over time. Just think about having years of no hassle or stress with your Christmas lights and being able to turn them on for a random day in August because you feel like it.

Do you provide the lights, or do I need to supply them?

While you can always buy your own lights, our team provides what you need each and every year. If you want to pick them out yourself, we can aid you in making sure you buy the proper lights for outside use, the right length of strand and the proper number of strands to take care of what you want to light up outside. If you want to hand it all over to us-our Elves will take care of it for you.

Can you install additional decorations like wreaths or garlands?

What would a home be without a wreath on the door? Of course, we want every house and business to have a signature wreath or garland decorating the entryway. There is nothing like a fresh wreath, but whatever you want to hang on your door, we can install it.

Do you have examples or suggestions for unique light displays?

If you want unique, we can make sure your house doesn't look like your neighbor's. We can provide specialty items like giant figures for your yard-like those huge Halloween skeletons, but Christmas-themed-or we can turn that tree in your front yard into the best Christmas tree ever. If you want snowmen or nutcrackers guarding your home, we can station them in your outdoor space.

What happens if a light goes out or there's an issue with the display during the holidays?

All it takes is one bulb to go out to bring the whole display to its knees. If that happens to you, we will come and replace the bulb and take care of your display during the holiday season. If you opt-in to keep your lights up all year, we charge a monthly fee to be your on-call lighting Elves.

What types of events do you decorate for, aside from Christmas?

We love all holidays. We are all-inclusive. We know spooky season is huge and we want everyone to let their inner Addams out. From the 4th of July to Diwali to Hanukkah to even helping with gender reveals-if you have an occasion you could throw up decorations and lights outside for, we want to be there.

Will you help with the removal of lights and decorations?

We wouldn't leave you hanging like that. If you need help putting things up, we wouldn't expect you to take it all down by yourself. Our services include everything from installation to storage and removal-even bulb replacements. We are your Elves for the whole holiday season.

Which is better for energy savings, incandescent or LED Christmas lights?

The best lights for energy efficiency always depends on where the lights are going. When turning your outside trees into Christmas beauties, mini lights usually work the best, but if you have shrubbery you want to light up, net lighting works better. For your home, you want larger bulbs, wreaths and garlands to do the job. We will find the best bulb for the job, so you don't have to worry about things looking off or your electric bill looking scary.

Are white Christmas lights more popular than colored ones?

For the outside of homes or businesses, cool white and warm white are the best neutrals. Nothing beats the feeling multi-color lights bring. We always smile when we see those classic arrays of colors twinkle. But don't worry about trends, whatever your personal preference is what you should decorate your outdoor space with.

Do you offer installation for lights that play music?

We love going above and beyond-but we have to charge accordingly. Basic lights are one thing, but ones that sing and dance will be a different price point we would have to work out separately.

What happens if Christmas lights are exposed to rain or snow?

Good, high-quality lights won't be bothered by rain or snow. We will make sure all lights used outside are the proper style compatible with the weather and won't give up at the first sight of snow.

Where can I recycle old or broken Christmas lights?

We don't want you to worry about anything and that includes what to do with old holiday lights. We can handle everything, and that includes discarding old lights in the proper way. When you have MosquitoNix as your Elves, we offer the complete white glove service.

What precautions can I take to prevent Christmas lights from becoming a fire hazard?

Everyone has that fleeting worry about turning the Christmas lights on and burning down the whole house. With MosquitoNix, you won't have to have those thoughts in your head. When you leave the installation process to MosquitoNix Elves, the proper electrical processes and practices will be followed to lower any risk of a dire hazard. We take all precautions because the only thing lighting up the sky should be your lights.

Are all Christmas lights low voltage, or does it depend on the type?

Not all Christmas lights are low voltage, but MosquitoNix only uses LED lights. It's not that we think they are the best ones ever made, but we know they are the best ones for the outside jobs we have done, and we want the most reliable lights for the job.

What is the difference between commercial and residential Christmas lights?

The difference between commercial and business Christmas lights is really how professional you want the final look to be. Commercial lights are for a restaurant, school, university, or senior living facility.

If you have a residential property you want to be decorated, you need to check if there are HOA guidelines to follow first. If not, it's up to the homeowner to decide how close to the North Pole you want your house to be. We just can't wait to bring your snow globe vision to life.