Christmas Light Electrical Accessories

Zip Cord Christmas Light Wire

Filter Zip Cord Christmas Light Wire (Over 264 Items)
Product Type
Wire Color
Wire Insulation
Length
Green Wiring Accessories
Green Zip Cord, Plugs & Sockets
Black Wiring Accessories
Black Zip Cord, Plugs & Sockets
White Wiring Accessories
White Zip Cord, Plugs & Sockets
Brown Wiring Accessories
Brown Zip Cord, Plugs & Sockets
SPT1 Wire Plugs and Sockets
SPT 1 Zip Cord, Plugs & Sockets
SPT2 Wire Plugs and Sockets
SPT 2 Zip Cord, Plugs & Sockets

Ultimate Customization

ZIP CORD, ZIP PLUGS & Zip Sockets

Zip Cord Wire
zip plugs
zip sockets

Zip Cord

It all starts with the wire, and you can create either custom string lights or custom extension cords.

Custom string lights: You can literally add bulb sockets anywhere you want along the line to suit your display needs. This is great for making string lights fit the contours of your house and only lighting the edges you want with no empty sockets stuck in the middle.

Custom extension cords: Likewise, if you have multiple displays around your yard or wrap trees with lights in various areas around your house, consider running a custom extension cord with inline female taps at precisely the spacing you need to power each of your display areas. This approach can be a great time and money saver. Plus, it often looks better because it eliminates the gaggle of extension cords strewn around your yard.

Zip Cord Wire For Custom Light Displays

Choosing the right wire and accessories is easier than you think. It boils down to three questions:

  1. What color do I want?
  2. What SPT rating do I want?
  3. How much do I need?

Electrical Wire Color

Choose a color for your Christmas light wire that blends with your background. If you're running lights along the roof and you have asphalt shingles, choose black. If you're running lights along white gutters or fascia boards, choose white. If you're running a long outdoor extension cord for Christmas lights through your landscaping, perhaps to light your trees, choose green or brown. Remember that you'll want to choose sockets and zip plugs to match the color of your wire.

What SPT wire rating do I want?

The SPT rating is a measure of the thickness of the wire insulation. SPT2 insulation is thicker than SPT1. Because of this, most SPT2 wire is rated to carry up to 10 amps; most SPT1 wire is rated to 7 amps. For longer light runs that require more electrical capacity, SPT2 wire is your best choice. SPT1 wire is more flexible but rated for fewer amps so it's a better choice for smaller custom runs. Some people prefer SPT2 wire for any run size specifically if their weather is more inclement and they want more insulation between the weather and the wire.

How much wire do I need?

Before you start your custom Christmas light project, you'll want to measure how much zip cord you'll need. Once you have a total, add a little for margin of error, you should have a pretty good estimate of how much you'll need. Our Christmas zip cord wire comes in 100', 500' and 1,000' lengths, so you should be covered for any project size.

Custom Christmas Light Safety Tips

  1. Zip cord, plugs and sockets are a great solution for custom Christmas lights, but they are meant for temporary display use only.
  2. Outdoor Christmas lights should be plugged into GFCI (or "ground fault") outlets as an added safety measure.
  3. Calculate your total wattage/amperage needs and then always aim to be around 80% of the line's maximum capacity to keep it performing well.
  4. Don't staple gun your Christmas lights. This damages the insulation of your wiring. Consider Christmas light clips and hangers as a better alternative.
  5. If you have any questions about your display, consult a qualified electrician.

Zip Plugs

Male Zip Plug
Male Zip Plug
Female Zip Plug
Female Zip Plug
Inline Zip Plug
Inline Zip Plug

Zip plugs are designed to be easy enough for anyone to use. First, let's talk about the names for these plugs. Some people call them zip plugs. Some call them vampire plugs (because of the "vampire teeth" inside them that bite into the wire to connect to electrical current). Some call them Gilbert plugs. They're all the same thing. They come in three types (male, female and inline), two insulation ratings (SPT1 or SPT2) and four colors.

Know Your Plug Types First

You're undoubtedly already familiar with male and female electrical plugs. We use them every day: male plugs have prongs, female plugs have receptacles. You plug males into females. It's exactly the same with zip plugs (except with zip plugs you get to open them up and look inside!). Inline zip plugs are simply a special kind of female plug designed to let electrical wire pass through them so they can be placed anywhere on a wire, not just at one end like male and female plugs.

All of these zip plugs feature "polarization." This, too, is a concept you're familiar with (though you may not realize it). It's the reason most modern household electrical accessories have one wide blade or receptacle, and one narrow. This ensures they can plug together only one way, maintaining the polarization of the electrical current and reducing the risk of electric shock. When you're attaching zip plugs to wire, you must maintain this polarization -- easy to do, but very important.

Zip plugs are designed for SPT1 or SPT2 zip cord wire. When you're ready to begin your project, simply make sure you're using the same insulation type for all your plugs and wire. Our zip plugs come in green, brown, white and black.

How To Install Zip Plugs

Zip plugs feature a slide-off backing that lets you lay electrical cord inside. When you slide the backing on again, this presses the cord down onto the vampire teeth, creating the connection with the electrical current.

Installing Male Zip Plugs

  1. Make sure nothing you're working with is plugged in.
  2. Slide the backing off of your zip plug. Look closely. You'll note that the backings slide off and on only one way. You may have to exert some pressure to get the backing off. Don't worry, you won't break it.
  3. Now look inside your zip plug. You'll see two "vampire teeth" set down into the channel that runs along the length of the plug. These teeth bite into the cord when the plug is assembled to connect to electric current. Note that these teeth are not aligned. One of them is connected (through the plug) to the wide blade or receptacle; the other to the narrow. This is important.
  4. Now look closely at your electrical cord. You'll note that it's actually two wires side by side. One wire has a slightly raised "rib" along one side (you may have to feel for it). This is the "neutral" wire; it connects to the wide blade or receptacle of your plug. This maintains the polarization of the electrical current -- very important.
  5. Using a knife, cutting tool or even your fingernail, gently split the end of your zip cord to separate the two wires, pulling them apart to a length of a quarter- to a half-inch.
  6. Making sure you align the ribbed wire with the "vampire tooth" that's connected to the wide blade or receptacle of your plug, press the end of the electrical cord down into the "well" on one end of the plug. Note that the plastic divider down in the well should separate the split ends of your electrical cord.
  7. Now bend the electrical cord over and lay it into the channel that runs the length of your plug. This will lay the electrical cord across the vampire teeth (again, make sure the ribbed wire is laying on the tooth that's connected to the wide blade or receptacle). You may have to press it in a bit with your finger.
  8. Slide the backing onto the plug again. Once again some pressure may be in order; you may even need to use pliers. As you slide the backing on, it will press the electrical cord firmly onto the vampire teeth, securing the electrical connection.

Installing Female Zip Plugs

For female zip plugs, the process is identical except you'll attach it to the other end of your electrical cord. Be sure that the ribbed wire always connects to the tooth that's connected to the wider of the two receptacles to maintain polarization. Use a female zip plug to secure the end of a run, even if you don't plug anything into it. Never leave exposed wire at the end of a run.

Installing Inline Zip Plugs

For inline zip plugs, the process is actually a touch easier.

  1. Make sure nothing you're working with is plugged in.
  2. Slide the backing off of your inline plug, same as with male and female zip plugs.
  3. Note inside the plug the two "vampire teeth" and their orientation to the polarized receptacles of the plug. Correct polarization must be maintained with inline zip plugs same as with male and female.
  4. Making sure you align the ribbed wire with the "vampire tooth" that's connected to the wide receptacle of the plug, lay the electrical cord into the channel in the plug.
  5. Slide the backing onto the plug again. Note how the inline plug's special design allows the electrical cord to pass through the back and come out both ends.

Zip Sockets

These do-it-yourself light bulb sockets allow you to place lights wherever you want them on your string, and nowhere that you don't. They come in two sizes (C7 and C9), two insulation ratings (SPT1 and SPT2), and four colors.

Choose a size

Christmas light sockets come in two sizes -- C7 and C9, so named for the most common bulb types used in each. However, one of the beauties of these little sockets is the flexibility they give you on what bulbs to use. For example, C7 sockets will accept any E12 (candelabra) base bulb. So you can customize your Christmas light display with any of our 100-plus C7 bulb options, or you can change things up and use a popular G30 or G50 globe light with an E12 base.

Likewise, C9 sockets will accept not only C9 bulbs, but any E17 (intermediate) base bulb. Again this offers you the flexibility to use any of our nearly 100 C9 bulb options, as well as both G- and S-style bulbs that feature an E17 base.

This flexibility both in bulb placement and bulb style is the reason most custom Christmas light displays include plenty of these versatile little Christmas light sockets.

C7 & C9 Light Sockets

Choose an SPT insulation type

If you're using SPT1 zip cord wire, use SPT1 sockets. If you're using SPT2 zip cord wire, use SPT2 sockets.

Installing Zip Sockets

The process for installing these handy sockets is the same for C7 or C9. They arrive in two pieces, a socket and a backing, which you connect to attach to your electrical wire. Here's how:

  1. Make sure nothing you're working with is plugged in.
  2. Look at the back of your socket. You'll see two "vampire teeth" set down into the channel that runs through the back of the socket. These teeth bite into the wire when the socket is assembled to connect to electric current. Note that these teeth are not aligned. One of them is connected to a metal tab at the bottom of the socket. The other is connected (through the socket) to a metal tab on the side of the socket. This is important.
  3. Now look closely at your electrical cord. You'll note that it's actually two wires side by side. One wire has a slightly raised "rib" along one side (you may have to feel for it). This is the "neutral" wire; it connects to the vampire tooth that's connected to the metal tab on the side of your socket. This maintains the polarization of the electrical current -- very important.
  4. Lay your electrical cord into the channel on the back of the socket. This will lay the electrical cord across the vampire teeth (again, make sure the ribbed wire is laying on the tooth that's connected to the side of the socket).
  5. Set the back on the socket. Note that both the socket and the backing have a matching "hump" on one side. Align these humps to ensure you're attaching the back the right way.
  6. Press! It'll take a little force to press the backing down onto the electrical cord firmly enough to press the cord onto the teeth in the socket. You may want to use pliers, or set the socket down and press the backing on with a small, hard, flat item like a piece of wood. Apply gentle force so as not to damage the socket, and make sure the backing is seated firmly all the way around. Once you've done a few of these you'll have the hang of it in no time.