Back in the early 2000's I did my biggest display. It was around 6000 to 6500 miniature lights, two 20 amp breakers were used for power. Probably 50 or so extension cords all over a one acre yard. I covered the entire roof with 4700 of the lights, strands spaced every one foot. It looked great but I was always fixing blown bulbs because the strings were old. Half a strand would go out and I'd break out the zapper and go up on the roof. To this day I'm amazed how the display could take the rain. I'd forget to turn it off in time and it would be raining on all those live extension cords and power strips, some literally laying in the gutter. Only a few times did it blow the GFCI. Both GFCI's were tested and functioning normally. The logic of a 20 year old "how can it catch fire, it's literally in the rain".
Incandescent C9 bulbs use about 7-10 watts each, if you take the low number * 25,000 you need 175 kW to power them. At say 0.15 per kWH, that'd cost $26.25 per HOUR to run them, but you wouldn't be able too unless you just so happen to have 800 AMP service to your house.
In the movie, didn't they cut in a nuclear reactor? As a teenager in the '70s, our house had 150 amp service...I think. The house was built in 1974. The house before that had 60 amp service.
I really should watch that movie someday. Somehow I've only managed to catch parts of it in passing as I was channel surfing, but I am familiar with the scene when he switches on the lights. I always assumed the "excessiveness" was exaggerate, although hearing the actual numbers makes it sound a lot less exaggerated than I thought! While the light display was impressive back in the day, I've seen plenty of modern Christmas light displays that are much more creative and interesting. The things they can do with animations are incredible!
At my last job, part of it involved maintaining and testing two 300 kilowatt generators....you could use one of those to light all those lights and then some, but you would have to buy diesel fuel for a massive V12....
I know a guy who bought part of a decommissioned US naval base and gets "free" electricity from the neighbouring navy storage facility. On the condition he puts continuous load on the generators. His part of the base has 10 or so arc lamps running 24/7 and refrigerated cooling to all rooms, plus all the general household drain.
Now, thats funny. I watched this movie yesterday and I though: surely on the Internet there is some madman that either knows or computed the actual power required to keep those lights on. But they are not twinkling...
How many watts per bulb would it be? Obviously the lights are designed for looking at rather than looking with so it wouldn't be the 60W bulbs commonly used inside for general lighting at the time. Would it be maybe 10W per bulb?
nearly 5W, a tad less. I had 8-900W of lights outside in the '90s. No way there are 25k bulbs in the movie, less then 10k to me. So let's say 40-50kW, no socket in the house would have survived and for sure no way the cord he used would have been thick enough.
Just saying = i had lights on for several months! Cost $ was just buying! Solar rope LED 72 ft long @ Harbor Freight around $20 each! Held up in cold weather ETC
I was just watching something before this how in Queensland the Electric Company can if you get it turn of the A/C remotely and you get reduction on the usage fee's. Imagine the cost of those bulbs at Australia's elec costs, in South Australia I read its about 45 cents per kWh so it would be expensive.
I knew someone in my hometown back in the day who was an electrical lineman and had a 2nd 200-amp service installed just for all his Christmas lights (or that 2nd service might've actually been for his workshop, but still, his displays were amazing) 😍
While the overall exterior shots of the house were filmed in Chicago, it barely has a role in the actual movie. Most of the movie(and all interior scenes) was filmed in and around a house on "Blondie Street", in the Warner Brothers Ranch compound in Burbank, CA. It has been used for other movies as well, such as American Beauty, Hocus Pocus, and many more. Additionally, it was the house used for the TV series Bewitched, and also WandaVision.
I forgot to turn off the lights in the kitchen today and ended up being on for probably 6 hours before I realized it. I don't feel so bad now. 🙂 Personally I think Christmas lights are a waste of time, money and energy. Nothing against Christmas decorations, just the waste of energy. Always have and always will.
Latest thing in my city are tractor trailer sized generators at new buildings, cause utility despite YEAR PLUS they get application for new service to a 20 story 200 family building, they can't get service installed before the last possible minute. So yeah, the Griswalds home would have brought down the grid. That's how crappy the grid is after 'privatization' of utilities. fyi in olden days an elec co had to use profits from GENERATING to help fund SERVICE. After splitting up generators and 'delivery', they game regulators bribing them to ok vast increases 'to improve' service, as they don't have any income stream from generating to help pay for it. Then they simply don't do anything. My utility was fined 10's of millions finally, and was given it back, literlly, the regulators ok'd a rate increase and used the money from the fine to pay for it - then boasted how they 'saved consumers'. Note that you pay for electrical generation by cost plus overhead and profit, it's not really regulated. Utility just tells regulators what it costs to make the energy, as inefficently as possible, using most expensive fuels, etc. and then they get rewarded with overhead, to pay for all the management who don't actually do anything to generate power, and thus be included in it's cost, for brand new offices whenever a manager gets promoted, moved to new dept, whatever, junkets to cancun to investigate electrical generation there THEN PROFIT, which is calculated at a usually double digit percentage of every single cost the co can lard into the biz. THE MORE IT COSTS TO MAKE ELEC, THE MORE THEY MAKE IN PROFIT. fyi In olden days they were paid to be more efficient, if they got 10% more efficient and that would cost them 10% of their profits, the regulators cut a deal letting them keep 5%, so they cut the cost of elec 10%, but consumers only saw 5% of that savings. Still, it was a savings, it helped envivronment, etc.. All gone with modern 'regulators' who are no longer carrer civil servants advised by carrer engineers, but 'to get the best' by the next generation of industry execs who leave their utiillty for a short gig as a regulator before returning w a big promotion after approving everything they could without getting arrested or lynched. Thanks for the excuse to vent.
Happy New Year Fran! You have educated me on many things, and helped me work on myself as well! So, I believe that, at a basic level, I’m a better person because of you. Thank you. 🥰
Well, the power transformer for our block happens to be right in front of our house (in our yard, actually), and the local hardware store still sells incandescent C9s. If I could pass the Spousal Acceptance Factor, it could be done... 🤔💡
Great Scott! One point twenty one jigga-watts! I really forgot how I liked that scene as a kid: ua-cam.com/video/iXaw70X7wb4/v-deo.html - and now you reminded me. Thanks
Back in the early 2000's I did my biggest display. It was around 6000 to 6500 miniature lights, two 20 amp breakers were used for power. Probably 50 or so extension cords all over a one acre yard. I covered the entire roof with 4700 of the lights, strands spaced every one foot. It looked great but I was always fixing blown bulbs because the strings were old. Half a strand would go out and I'd break out the zapper and go up on the roof. To this day I'm amazed how the display could take the rain. I'd forget to turn it off in time and it would be raining on all those live extension cords and power strips, some literally laying in the gutter. Only a few times did it blow the GFCI. Both GFCI's were tested and functioning normally. The logic of a 20 year old "how can it catch fire, it's literally in the rain".
Incandescent C9 bulbs use about 7-10 watts each, if you take the low number * 25,000 you need 175 kW to power them. At say 0.15 per kWH, that'd cost $26.25 per HOUR to run them, but you wouldn't be able too unless you just so happen to have 800 AMP service to your house.
Above that, in the movie they have all the lights running through one outlet/switch. Pretty sure that wouldn't work but I am not a electrician.
In the 70s what did they have maybe 100 amps?
You would also need 98 outlets if each outlet is 120V 15A.
Or a couple 100 kW diesel generators in the backyard.
In the movie, didn't they cut in a nuclear reactor?
As a teenager in the '70s, our house had 150 amp service...I think. The house was built in 1974. The house before that had 60 amp service.
I really should watch that movie someday. Somehow I've only managed to catch parts of it in passing as I was channel surfing, but I am familiar with the scene when he switches on the lights. I always assumed the "excessiveness" was exaggerate, although hearing the actual numbers makes it sound a lot less exaggerated than I thought! While the light display was impressive back in the day, I've seen plenty of modern Christmas light displays that are much more creative and interesting. The things they can do with animations are incredible!
So in other words, Clark REALLY needed that Christmas bonus..
At my last job, part of it involved maintaining and testing two 300 kilowatt generators....you could use one of those to light all those lights and then some, but you would have to buy diesel fuel for a massive V12....
I know a guy who bought part of a decommissioned US naval base and gets "free" electricity from the neighbouring navy storage facility. On the condition he puts continuous load on the generators. His part of the base has 10 or so arc lamps running 24/7 and refrigerated cooling to all rooms, plus all the general household drain.
Fran you "light up" my life. Happy New Year!
But she's all dark here 😃
Now, thats funny. I watched this movie yesterday and I though: surely on the Internet there is some madman that either knows or computed the actual power required to keep those lights on.
But they are not twinkling...
Just lighting up a house with lights is so 90s. Now people are using computers to do animated light shows synced to music.
The little projectors out in the yard seem fairly popular....
where there's a Griswold, there's a way! Happy New Year and pass the Tylenol 🎉
Hey there, Fran. Hope you are having happy holidays.
How many watts per bulb would it be? Obviously the lights are designed for looking at rather than looking with so it wouldn't be the 60W bulbs commonly used inside for general lighting at the time. Would it be maybe 10W per bulb?
C9 bulbs were around 9W per bulb I think, C7 (same shape, but thumb sized) were like 4W each.
Adds up fast!
nearly 5W, a tad less. I had 8-900W of lights outside in the '90s.
No way there are 25k bulbs in the movie, less then 10k to me. So let's say 40-50kW, no socket in the house would have survived and for sure no way the cord he used would have been thick enough.
C7 bulbs are 5W each and C9 is 7W each.
Most homes have a 200 amp service at best; 240VAC at 200 amps is 48K available watts. 75K would be a no-go!
❤️🔥FRAN❤️🔥
Enjoyed this little vid on it.. Funny
Just saying = i had lights on for several months! Cost $ was just buying! Solar rope LED 72 ft long @ Harbor Freight around $20 each! Held up in cold weather ETC
The heat alone would probably cause a weather system to appear
Illinois has plenty of nuclear plants to maintain that load, but even that will be tested this coming January
I was just watching something before this how in Queensland the Electric Company can if you get it turn of the A/C remotely and you get reduction on the usage fee's.
Imagine the cost of those bulbs at Australia's elec costs, in South Australia I read its about 45 cents per kWh so it would be expensive.
Osterland's could as Big Clive would recommend a capacitive dropper
I knew someone in my hometown back in the day who was an electrical lineman and had a 2nd 200-amp service installed just for all his Christmas lights (or that 2nd service might've actually been for his workshop, but still, his displays were amazing) 😍
When are the RIch going to take an actual hit to THEIR lifestyles Roxanne?
While the overall exterior shots of the house were filmed in Chicago, it barely has a role in the actual movie. Most of the movie(and all interior scenes) was filmed in and around a house on "Blondie Street", in the Warner Brothers Ranch compound in Burbank, CA. It has been used for other movies as well, such as American Beauty, Hocus Pocus, and many more. Additionally, it was the house used for the TV series Bewitched, and also WandaVision.
Beautiful Downtown Burbank...
@@FranLab Live from beautiful downtown Burbank it's...... Rowan and Martins Laugh in .......
"Very interesting but stupid Lucy"
I forgot to turn off the lights in the kitchen today and ended up being on for probably 6 hours before I realized it. I don't feel so bad now. 🙂 Personally I think Christmas lights are a waste of time, money and energy. Nothing against Christmas decorations, just the waste of energy. Always have and always will.
Latest thing in my city are tractor trailer sized generators at new buildings, cause utility despite YEAR PLUS they get application for new service to a 20 story 200 family building, they can't get service installed before the last possible minute. So yeah, the Griswalds home would have brought down the grid. That's how crappy the grid is after 'privatization' of utilities. fyi in olden days an elec co had to use profits from GENERATING to help fund SERVICE. After splitting up generators and 'delivery', they game regulators bribing them to ok vast increases 'to improve' service, as they don't have any income stream from generating to help pay for it. Then they simply don't do anything. My utility was fined 10's of millions finally, and was given it back, literlly, the regulators ok'd a rate increase and used the money from the fine to pay for it - then boasted how they 'saved consumers'. Note that you pay for electrical generation by cost plus overhead and profit, it's not really regulated. Utility just tells regulators what it costs to make the energy, as inefficently as possible, using most expensive fuels, etc. and then they get rewarded with overhead, to pay for all the management who don't actually do anything to generate power, and thus be included in it's cost, for brand new offices whenever a manager gets promoted, moved to new dept, whatever, junkets to cancun to investigate electrical generation there THEN PROFIT, which is calculated at a usually double digit percentage of every single cost the co can lard into the biz. THE MORE IT COSTS TO MAKE ELEC, THE MORE THEY MAKE IN PROFIT. fyi In olden days they were paid to be more efficient, if they got 10% more efficient and that would cost them 10% of their profits, the regulators cut a deal letting them keep 5%, so they cut the cost of elec 10%, but consumers only saw 5% of that savings. Still, it was a savings, it helped envivronment, etc.. All gone with modern 'regulators' who are no longer carrer civil servants advised by carrer engineers, but 'to get the best' by the next generation of industry execs who leave their utiillty for a short gig as a regulator before returning w a big promotion after approving everything they could without getting arrested or lynched. Thanks for the excuse to vent.
600W? That's 6 100 watt light bulbs. I think it off by an order.
The lights would not be on during the daytime. So, cut those estimates in half.
Imagine leaving your Christmas lights on all night ;)
Article stated 6 hours per day for those numbers.
Happy New Year Fran! You have educated me on many things, and helped me work on myself as well! So, I believe that, at a basic level, I’m a better person because of you. Thank you. 🥰
I always wanted to know ❤
Cost was zero - he stole it from the neighbour 😂
Well, the power transformer for our block happens to be right in front of our house (in our yard, actually), and the local hardware store still sells incandescent C9s. If I could pass the Spousal Acceptance Factor, it could be done... 🤔💡
Upgrading to 800A service alone would be pretty expensive initially and monthly
@@Heimbasteln
Installed service?
I think he was thinking a hacksaw, jumper cable clamps and a 6 foot long chicken stick......
@@acronus For legal purposes, most certainly not, and I would never recommend such a dangerous thing. 😉⚡
The lights today are LED use less power C9 lights cost more
Great Scott! One point twenty one jigga-watts!
I really forgot how I liked that scene as a kid: ua-cam.com/video/iXaw70X7wb4/v-deo.html - and now you reminded me. Thanks