Using LED bulbs can save energy when decorating for the holidays

Dear Jim: I told my kids that we would use fewer holiday lights to save energy, but they threw a fit. Are there any efficient large lights I can get and do you have any tips for decorating efficiently? - Becky B.

Dear Becky: It is fun for families to decorate their homes, indoors and outdoors, but it can increase electric bills much more than most people realize. Including the cost of the bulbs, the five-year cost for using standard C7 colored bulbs during the holidays can be as high as $150.

Obviously, the best alternative to consuming all this energy is using nonelectric or many fewer lights. As you have found, though, the holidays are a special time for children and they will resist this option.

New types of large (C9 and C7 - check the package for size designation) holiday bulbs use solid state LED (light emittingdiode) technology. Whereas large standard colored bulbs use from five to ten watts of electricity per bulb, an LED bulb of equivalent brightness uses only 0.15 watts.

These colored bulbs have the same shape as a regular holiday lights, but they are plastic and have three small LEDs inside of each one. They are very durable and do not get hot so they are safer for your children.

The only drawback to these colored LED bulbs is their initial cost. A 17-foot long string with 24 bulbs (C7) costs about $20 to $25. This might sound like a relatively high price, but their life is 60,000 hours. You will likely never have to replace them in your lifetime.

Another option is using standard or LED mini-lights. Both use much less electricity than standard colored lights and are inexpensive to buy. As with the larger LED bulbs, the LED mini-lights last literally forever.

If you already have your lights and don't want to purchase new ones right now, consider installing fiber optic converters on the bulbs so you can use fewer bulbs. These converters snap over the bulb and have many protruding fibers. These fibers carry the light and create a large bright cluster.

The best energy efficiency tip is use fewer bulbs and light them for a shorter time period. Perhaps you can negotiate with your children for a two- or three-hour time period for the lights each night and plug them into a timer.

This is particularly good for outdoor lights. In my neighborhood, some are still on all night.

Use as many reflective ornaments as possible and decorate around mirrors to intensify any lighting. Small and large hanging mirrored globe ornaments are particularly effective. If you make ornaments yourself, use reflective metallic threads, which are available at most craft shops.

The following companies offer efficient holiday lights/decorations:

American Lighting,

(800) 880-1130, http://www.americanlighting.com;

Bronners,

(800) 361-6736, http://www.bronners.net;

Holiday Creations,

(303) 694-1121,www.holidaycreations.com;

Kreinik Mfg.,

(800) 537-2166, http://www.kreinik.com;

and Miles Kimball,

(800) 546-2255, http://www.mileskimball.com.

Dear Jim: I am planning to add an island sink when I remodel my kitchen.

I am concerned about installing a vent at the drain. Is a vent really necessary and what is the best way to install one? - Jeff M.

Dear Jeff: A vent is definitely necessary. The trap in a drain pipe is used to create a water seal to keep sewer gases from coming out of the sink into the kitchen.

A vent keeps the water in the trap from being siphoned out.

One method is to make a second plumbing loop under the sink that ties into a vent through a wall.

A simpler method is to install a AAV (air-admittance valve). This is a one-way valve that allows air to enter the drain but gases cannot escape.

Send inquiries to James Dulley, Newspaper Name, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit http://www.dulley.com.