LED FAQ's, Inirgee, Imaginary Colours, RichWave, Full Wave, LED lights, LED light strings, Replacement LED bulbs, G. Tom Tsao

The easiest way to search FAQ is to use the Find feature in your browser (Press Ctrl +F). Type in a keyword and click Find. Each time you click Find, it will find the next instance of your keyword.

To search all of Inirgee and ImaginaryColours, Google is reasonably reliable. Click to go to our Inirgee ImaginaryColours Google Search. Google will not search the FAQ page, and it won't search specific part numbers, however.

Our Energy Savings calculator is right here on our Inirgee.com website (opens in new window). It is an Excel 5 file. If you have Microsoft Excel 5 or higher on your computer you can use it. You also need to be using Microsoft Internet Explorer browser for it to work. Copyright G. Tom Tsao. Unauthorized duplication prohibited, but feel free to post the link on your website or BBS.

Yes! Our Forever Bright(tm) 12volt light strings are wired for use on your car, RV or boat. All you need is one cigar lighter adapter and the rest of the lights plug in end-to-end. The lighter adapter is included free with your order.

Yes! You should look for the sets which are specifically labeled as being wired for Direct Current (DC). Of the battery-powered (DC) sets, most common are 12 volt sets. LEDs themselves are diodes, thus work nicely on DC. However, you must pay attention to the voltage so as not to overpower the LEDs which will blow them, similar to overpowering an incandescent bulb. Inirgee carries 12v LED sets which will plug into your car or boat cigarette lighter, Premium 12 volt LED bulbs which are brighter and more versatile; and we also carry battery-operated 4.5v LED sets which use 3 AA batteries.

Yes! We have the largest selection of battery-operated LED light strings! We have white cord or green cord. They work on (3) AA batteries. Regular alkaline copper top Duracell batteries will operate the lights for 20 to 100 hours depending on the color (we've actually tested this ourselves on a blue set and got more than 100 hours), and we expect that other good batteries should perform similarly. Red and amber LEDs will probably run longer, green probably about the same, and white somewhat shorter. The multi-colored sets will probably run the lights in the 20-30 hour range.

High-quality rechargeables will only last a day before needing recharging. We tested the same set of blue LED lights using Energizer 2500 mAh and, while the batteries keep my digital camera going for a week, will only run the LED light string for 20 hours.

FYI, we tested some other alkaline batteries, and they did not last nearly as long as the Duracell.

Due to the varying sizes and weights of the items we sell, the shopping cart cannot calculate shipping charges with 100% accuracy. It is for this reason (and the Owner's lack of trust in computers in general) that every online order is reviewed personally by a manager to look for any case-quantity discounts and verify shipping charges and make any necessary corrections.

Due to some quirks or errors in programming, our shopping cart sometimes calculates really outrageous shipping charges. If the shipping charges on your order seem crazy, just put a note in with your order questioning the charges, or send us an email to that effect. Be sure to include your order number. While we handle hundreds of orders, we do handle each one manually, and every email is read and acted upon by a real live person. If there's an error, we are more than happy to correct it.

In fact, if we see an error, we'll correct it without you even asking us to. It's just the right way to do business.

Standard shipping is our choice of ground shipping. This may be USPS, UPS, FedEx, or other ground shipper. But we use UPS Ground 99.8% of the time.

Priority is our choice of expedited shipping, generally with 3 day arrival from the time the order is shipped. Priority can be USPS Priority Mail, UPS 3-day, FedEx Express or other expedited shipper. If you absolutely require a specific shipper, let us know when you place your order.

Due to quirks or errors in programming, shipping costs are not always calculated by the shopping cart correctly. This is due to the shopping cart not being able to recognize the difference between an order for, say, ten LED C7 bulbs, and ten 100-bulb RichWave light strings. The former order would weigh less than one pound, and the latter would weigh close to 12 lbs. Yet the shopping cart would recognize these orders as being exactly the same. See also, "Wow! Is the shipping really that much?!!?"

Standard and Priority shipping are the same price on my order. Is this right?

Sometimes yes. But sometimes it's due to a quirk or error in programming of our Shopping Cart. See "Wow! Is the shipping really that much?!!?" for details. We manually handle each order and make corrections when we see them.

Let's be clear that NO shipper is 100% perfect. However, we have discovered the following:

USPS Priority (stated 2-3 day non-guaranteed delivery) is the least reliable. We've had Priority packages arrive in 12 days before. We have also found that their delivery confirmation is unreliable. We once had a package which was Confirmed delivery but the customer was adamant that it was not received. Even though a lost parcel is not our responsibility (it is the buyer's responsibility to purchase insurance if desired), we gave her benefit of the doubt and sent her a replacement product. Meanwhile, the parcel, which had been confirmed as delivered, was returned to us by the USPS as "undeliverable as addressed," though the Delivery Confirmation still, to this day, says it was delivered. The post office has refused to refund our money because (you guessed it) it's been confirmed delivered.

FedEx has been very reliable. As of this writing, however, we have not used them as much as the USPS or UPS. FedEx does guarantee delivery of its expedited services.

UPS has been our primary shipping service since October, 2006. It has proven to be very reliable, yet not perfect (there are things such as hurricanes, snowstorms, flooding, etc. which can delay an otherwise-on-time package).

FOB means Free On Board. Basically, this means that the shipper releases ownership of an item where he states it is FOB. For instance, you will always see "FOB" followed by a city or port name. For instance, "FOB Belleville, KS" means the item is released of ownership in Belleville. Let's say you live in Sun City, KS (look it up just for fun) and we ship your order FOB Belleville. That means you own the product from the moment it leaves our warehouse. In other words, insuring the item is your responsibility, as we no longer own the product.

Sometimes, you will see "FOB Origination" (or "Origin") which is an easy way to say the same thing when there's other cities from where we might ship. We have locations in a few different states, and we choose what's the best location to use for each particular order.

Almost all shippers ship FOB Origination. It is extremely rare for a domestic shipment to be FOB Destination.

For your protection, you should buy insurance. Especially on large or expensive orders. We are not responsible for lost or damaged shipments. Bear in mind that UPS shipments include $100 of insurance free.

Our LED light strings are safe. We would never sell anything we did not feel comfortable using in our own homes. This line of thinking also goes with our standard of quality. You will not find "cheaply made junk" in our stores.

Our lights are approved by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and/or the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). The CSA seems to have a more stringent standard than does the UL, so some product is CSA listed and not UL listed because the manufacturer felt it was a redundant expense.

Always follow the safety instructions inside each package, and of course, apply common sense.

Furthermore, we consider LED lights to be safer than incandescent strings because there are no glass bulbs to break. Most sets are also rated for indoor and outdoor use.

What's so different about Forever Bright LED light strings that they've earned patents?

Consider that LED lights as a general rule use about 90% less energy than incandescents. Now consider that Forever Bright(tm) LED light strings use special circuitry that uses approximately 50% less electricity than other LED light sets! By taking advantage of AC electrical oscillations (Hertz), Forever Bright (tm) light strings save energy, and have extended life. The best thing to do is to read the patents themselves. Watch also for Forever Bright's new Premium Series of light strings in 2008! Patent 6,461,019. Patent 6,830,358.

Regarding Forever Bright(tm) and almost all brands of LED light strings, yes, if one bulb should fail, the others will stay lighted. However, if one bulb gets broken off and/or physically disconnected from its socket, part, or all of the string may fail. As a general rule, 70-LED strings are wired in two series blocks of 35 lights. Each block is wired electrically parallel to each other. This is why only one-half of the string may fail if a bulb gets physically removed.

At Inirgee.com and ImaginaryColours.com, we respect your privacy. We do not rent, sell, or give away your private information or email address. We hate SPAM ourselves, so we don't engage in that practice. However, marketing is a very important aspect of any company's Customer Service Program. If people don't know that we have what they need, they won't know where to buy it. Therefore, when people inquire about our products or place orders we add them to our own emailing list. We send out mailings only once or twice per month to introduce new product or notify our customers of specials.

We also believe that if you're an existing customer of ours, you should get good deals, too. All too often, companies make "Introductory Offers" to non-customers while their existing clients have to pay full price. We think this is unfair. Thus, our loyal customers get early notice of special offers or even coupon codes which are exclusive to them, while non-customers may not get the same deals.

If you wish to be excluded from our regular mailings, just drop me an email to that effect: tom @ inirgee.com (no spaces). Please note that we will immediately honor your request. However, you may pop back on the list after placing another order. List management is a tedious and imperfect job--please be patient with us and kindly remind us to remove you again.

All orders must be prepaid unless a Net 30 account has been approved and established by us. Our shopping cart currently accepts credit and debit cards by MasterCard and Visa, credit cards by Discover, AmEx and any PayPal payments (PayPal accepts everything, including your personal check or money order). We are considering accepting online checks in the future.

We also accept US Postal Money Orders and checks by mail. Checks must clear the bank before shipping your order, so if you're in a hurry, use a credit or debit card, or PayPal. PayPal is a service which is free for consumer payments. The fees are paid by the sellers of merchandise. PayPal accepts most credit cards and can do debits from your savings or checking account if you prefer. Go to www.PayPal.com to read more. If you would like to tell them how you were referred, please contact us for our account number. Our email: info @ inirgee.com (no spaces).

We attempt to process all orders within 1 business day. However, sometimes things take longer for a myriad of reasons so please allow 1-4 weeks for delivery. During the Christmas and Holiday season, shipping times are usually increased due to the high volume, so please order early, or pay for expedited shipping & handling.

We generally ship via USPS or UPS according to what we feel is best for each particular order. If you have another preference, please make it explicitly clear on your order. Remember, FedEx and UPS cannot deliver to PO Boxes.

We will fulfill orders for shipment to foreign countries if we feel sufficiently safe in doing so. If your order is going to Nigeria, The Gambia, or Cuba, we're not likely to ship to you. Customs, Duties, Importation fees and taxes are entirely your responsibility. If you do not pay these fees but take delivery of the product, we will charge you the additional amount plus a $25.00US service charge.

Be aware that foreign orders can take several weeks to arrive. Be patient, or consider paying for expedited service.

OUR SHOPPING CART DOES NOT CALCULATE FOREIGN SHIPPING. You will be notified by email of the total cost of shipping, not including Customs & Duties and related fees. It is against the law to falsify information stated on the customs forms. Please do not ask us to lie for you. If the item your ordered is a gift, please send us an email telling us (remember to tell us your order number). Otherwise, we are required to state the retail value of the merchandise.

We will ship to the Hawaiian Islands and Alaska. The only affordable way we've found to do this is by USPS Priority Mail, in spite of its unreliability. Please email us and tell us you want to buy insurance for your order. USPS insurance is usually only a few dollars.

Generally speaking, we are open Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Central time.

We are located in Belleville, Kansas, just 60 miles from the geographic center of the United States (otherwise known as the Middle of Nowhere).

We are usually out of the office or in one of the warehouses and not by the telephone. For this reason we suggest that you contact us via email. If you prefer to call us, be prepared to leave a detailed message so we can appropriately prepare ourselves before returning your call. We will call back, and we may call back after hours, but before 9:00 pm your time (if we know your time zone).

Because of the thousands of variables to this equation, it's impossible to give you an exact answer. However, I have created a calculator which should give you the worst case scenario. This calculator does not take into account how many incandescent light strings you would have to replace during the life of your LED light strings, for example. Nor does it count labor for replacing burnt out incandescent strings while the LEDs keep working. There are many other variables, of course, but my calculator should give you a very conservative view of your breakeven point.

Are the hooks on your C7 & C9 light strings large enough to fit over gutter edge?
Are the hooks on your C7 & C9 light strings capable of attaching to the drip edge on my roof?

The hooks molded onto the C7 & C9 LED light strings currently on our site will not fit over a gutter, and I don’t think it’s deep (long) enough to sufficiently grab a drip edge. They are made more for narrow tree branches or supporting wire. Consider using our Shingle Tab light clips or Gutter clips. Find them on our Accessories page soon. Or email us if you can't wait for the website update. :)

Note: the socket base of the C7 & C9 LED light strings is smaller than the base on a screw-in type, so the Shingle Tab Clip does not fit precisely. The only way that this bulb fits this clip is in the way it shows in the pic: the clip on the bulb facing downward into the deepest part of the light clip. I’d expect the same for the Gutter clip.

The C7 & C9 LED light strings on our website do not have removable bulbs. The reason is that the manufacturer wanted to reduce moisture-related problems, so they sealed the bulbs. This does tend to work pretty well, as I had a string of C9 bulbs on the fence in front of our shop for 3 or 4 years. They were still working when the tornado destroyed them in April of 2006.

Now, we do have a new line of Premium LED replacement bulbs. These are C7 & C9 LED replacement bulbs. We sold thousands of these in 2006-2011 and we are very, very pleased with their quality. They are brighter than their pre-strung counterparts.

For instance, the C7 replacements each have three LEDs inside. Contrast this to the pre-strung models with only one LED. The C9 replacements have five LEDs inside. Contrast this to the pre-strung variety which has only one LED. Both the C7s and C9s look very similar to the ones now on our website (plastic bulb, faceted surface).

Mfr. Specs: 3 or 5 LEDs inside each bulb, C7 & C9 respectively (almost as bright as a regular incandescent C7 & C9). Less than 1 watt power usage, C7 has candelabra base, C9 has intermediate screw base, use your existing light stringer—no modifications or transformer needed.

We also have Globe shaped bulbs, Sign bulbs, T8 LED fluorescent replacments, wall washers, and other specialty bulbs.

Can I replace my incandescent bulbs with LEDs a few at a time, as they burn out, instead of all at one time?

There is some argument as to whether one can mix LED Replacements with incandescents. One supplier tells me they can be replaced one at a time as the old incandescents burn out, but another tells me that the whole string must be switched out at once.

However, we have used mixed bulbs here in our store for several years with no problems, and we've had customers who have replaced part of their lights each year over 2-3 years. No one has ever reported any problems arising out of mixing bulbs.

So the answer is a gray area. Choose what you think is best for you. If you feel uneasy, go with what gives you peace of mind.

Is my existing light stringer OK for using the new LED Replacement bulbs, or do I need to buy a special one made for LEDs? This applies to only C7 and C9 Replacement bulbs.

Our Imaginary Colours LED Replacement bulbs are designed to work with your existing light stringer. You normally do not need to modify the stringer, sockets, or add a transformer. You should , of course, inspect your stringer carefully for damage before using it. Look for cuts or cracks in the cord and sockets. Check for corrosion on the plug and sockets. Clean or replace as necessary.

In order to test the replacment LED lamps on over-the-counter light bulb stringers, we purchased a set of C7 incandescent lights and a set of C9s from a Big Box store. The first thing I noticed was that the C7 and C9 bulbs in the sets were smaller than traditional bulbs of the same size. This reinforces what I've been saying for years about the lowered quality of goods in the big boxes. See size comparison photos.

By making the bulbs slightly smaller, most customers would not notice, and even fewer would complain. However, today's big box market is a powerful force. The big box buyers dictate to the manufacturers how much they are willing to pay for a given product and it is up to the manufacturers to match that price or lose the sale.

Well, the obvious happens: manufacturers cut their quality in order to meet the demanded price point yet still maintain their own necessary profit margins. The customer is left with a lower-quality product albeit a "bargain" price. I put "bargain" in quotes because I do not believe anything is a bargain at any price if it lacks expected quality. OK, I digress. Back to the question...

We were able to replace the lights in the C7 set with no problems. We cut the power usage on the 25 bulb string from 122 watts to 8 (eight) watts!

While most people have no problems switching to C9 LED bulbs, the C9 set from the Big Box store did cause problems, however. As mentioned above, the Big Box C9 bulbs are smaller than traditional C9s. And the shape is slightly different; namely, the shoulder is more gently sloped which allowed the incandescent lights to screw in about 1/16th inch further than the LED C9s.

This teeny-tiny difference kept the LED C9s from making proper contact in the sockets. Professional grade stringers don't seem to have this problem, and other brands of Consumer grade stringers may not have problems, either.

To correct the C9 problem described just above, I trimmed about 1/32 to 1/16 inch off of the inside rim of each socket. The modification was easy and quick! See photos below.

NOTE: I am a tinkerer and "kit basher" by nature. This means that I'm not afraid to bend and break rules now and again to achieve the results I need in a project. I cannot recommend that anyone attempt to modify an electrical component. Instead, find stringers that work with your new LED replacement lamps, or buy them new (we have them available in-stock and also by special order).

Below are photos of the modification I did to a cheap set of lights I bought at a Big Box store to allow full-size C9 bulbs to fit properly.

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	NEW! InFAQ Click here to read InFrequently Asked Questions Good questions people have emailed, and our answers. These are InFrequently Asked Questions.
LED What is an LED?	Are LED light strings safe?
Do you have 12 volt LED sets?	If one bulb goes out, do the rest stay lighted?
Can LEDs run on batteries?	Is there a Shopping Cart anomaly in price & shipping?
Do you have battery-operated LED sets?	Wow! Is the shipping really that much?!!?
What's the difference between Standard and Priority shipping? They are the same price on my order. Is this right?	Privacy Policy
Satisfaction Guarantee	Forever Bright's (tm) guarantee
Terms & Conditions	Shipping to Hawaii and Alaska
Foreign Orders--addresses outside the USA	What do the different bulbs look like?
Retail store location Do you have a retail (bricks and mortar) store, or are you just online? Online stores Are you opening another store soon?	Your store name is really weird. What's it mean?
Do you have an easier-to-remember URL (web site)?	Shipping Which Shipper is most reliable?
Shipping, UPS, FedEx, USPS What does "FOB" mean?
	Are the LED bulbs interchangeable?
What is "Edutainment"?	Clips, hooks, installation Are the hooks on your C7 & C9 light strings capable of attaching to the drip edge on my roof? Are the hooks on your C7 & C9 light strings large enough to fit over gutter edge?
	Changing to LEDs Is my existing light stringer OK for using the new LED Replacement bulbs, or do I need to buy a special one made for LEDs? Can I replace my incandescent bulbs with LEDs a few at a time, as they burn out, instead of all at one time?
RichWave, FullWave What's so special about the RichWave LED light strings? How do the RichWave LED lights work?	Energy savings How quickly will my lights pay for themselves in electric savings? How much power do incandescent bulbs use compared to LED? Where is your Energy Savings Calculator?
Clear, White, Cool White, Warm White lights My white lights don't match. Why? What's the difference between cool white, warm white, candlelight, amber and regular clear lights?
	Lighting a Christmas Tree How many lights do I need for my tree?
Bulb Styles, Sizes What do "C7" "C9" "G12" "M5" and etc. mean? What are the common bulb shapes and sizes?
Shipping Rates Is UPS raising their rates?	What's so different about Forever Bright LED light strings that they've earned patents?
Spam What is your spam, email, and privacy policy? See also spam	Payment What forms of payment do you accept? Do you accept credit cards? Do you accept PayPal? Do you accept American Express (AmEx)?
Spam Will I get spam from you?	Mac I use a Mac and Safari and have trouble with your site

Click to enlarge	The knife is pointing at the square edge on the rim of the socket. This edge is what was obstructing the C9 bulb's installation.
Click to enlarge	In about 20 seconds, I trimmed the square edge off the rim. This small modification allowed the replacement bulb to fit properly.