Do you love the warm, inviting glow of fairy lights during the holiday season? Have you ever wondered how they work? Contrary to what many people believe, fairy lights are not powered by magic! In fact, they are powered by electricity. But How do fairy lights work? Let’s take a closer look at how fairy lights work and explore the difference between series and parallel circuits.
How do fairy lights work?
Fairy lights are powered by electricity and they are connected in series but they work as a parallel connection. They usually have copper and silver wire which makes them flexible and bendable.
In a series circuit, the current flows through each light in sequence. This means that the current gets weaker as it flows through each light. If one light goes out, the whole circuit will go out.
In a parallel circuit, the current flows through all of the lights at once. This means that each light gets the same amount of current. If one light goes out, the other lights will stay on.
But if notice closely nowadays fairy lights which seem they are connected in series but they do not stop working even if any single led goes out. Do you know why?
That is because the newer led lights have a mechanism inside them that does allow the current to flow even if any single led goes out. This is how the newer led lights are designed.
Those small LEDs have another wire inside them which will work as a conductor of electrical current even that bulb filament has gone. For more details, you check this article here on wired.com
Source wired.com
So you see even though it looks like they are wired in series but in actually they are working in parallel.
How to achieve maximum brightness.
Parallel electrical Connection
In order to achieve maximum brightness, the light bulbs should be connected in parallel. This is because each bulb gets the same amount of current, so they can all shine at their full potential.
In a parallel connection, the current flows through all of the lights at once. This means that each light gets the same amount of current. If one light goes out, the other lights will stay on.
Series electrical connection
In a series electrical connection, the current flows through each light in sequence. This means that the current gets weaker as it flows through each light. If one light goes out, the whole circuit will go out.
The disadvantage is that if one light goes out, the whole circuit will go out.
Which type of circuit is better for powering fairy lights?
It depends on what you want. If you want your lights to be very bright, then a parallel circuit is best. However, if you want a low and dim lighting then the series connection is the way to go.
However, it is recommended to use a dimmer switch in case your fairy light doesn’t have the dimming functionalities
Are most Christmas lights a series or parallel circuit?
Most Christmas lights are a parallel circuit. This is because if one light goes out, the other lights will stay on.
Series circuits are not as common because if one light goes out, the whole circuit will go out.
However, there are some lights that are in a series circuit. These are usually the lights that are very dim or have a special effect, like twinkling lights.
So now you know how fairy lights work! And the next time you see them glowing in the dark, you’ll be able to appreciate them even more.
Final Words
So there you know, fairy lights are connected in series but have the functionality of working as a parallel connection in case any of the bulbs go out.
We hope you enjoyed learning about how fairy lights work! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. And be sure to check out our other blog posts for more interesting facts and information. Thanks for reading!
Joy have been interested in lighting in general since child hood thus done a Diploma in Lighting & Electricals at the age of 15 apart from regular studies. Now I just want to share some useful information about the lights with people.