This might be a dumb question, but has anyone been able to successfully convert a built-in incandescent mini-light string to use LEDs? I have a few of these pre-lit burgundy-colored tinsel Christmas trees, which I like because not only does it eliminate the need to run a separate light string, the wire and sockets of the string blend in with the color of the tree, but obviously I'd prefer to substitute the lights themselves with LEDs if possible.
https://www.hayneedle.com/product/burgundy-tinsel-pre-lit-medium-christmas-tree-4-ft.cfm
Again I'd like to keep the actual wire and sockets, but from what I understand, LED mini-lights rely on impedances in their special strings since the bulbs themselves are little more than the LED elements, so I'm curious if it would be safe to, say, splicing in the resistor canisters from off-the-shelf LED light strings or if doing that carries notable risks like starting a fire that could burn down my office building.
Best Answer
The LED strings typically have different sockets, since the LEDs are polarized and the incandescents (obviously) are not. If you can get the LEDs to fit the existing sockets, there's the issue of polarity - you'd need to probe each socket to determine which way round the LED should go in. The dropper resistor and diode (one, or a bridge) that come with the LED strings should be safe enough to swap onto the built-in string. Typically in LED sets, there are two or three separate strings, each with its own dropper and rectifier. I have one tree that has the incandescents built in, but I didn't attempt to do this, and just wound an LED string onto it in addition.