A label-based planning comparison

Check the numbers before the lights go up.

Enter what you can read from your light, cord, and circuit labels. This browser-only tool compares those numbers and highlights missing information or conflicts.

Important boundary: This covers simple temporary US nominal-120V AC setups with one group of identically rated light sets; mixed-rated or out-of-scope displays are not modeled. It is an estimate, not a safety clearance, electrical design, inspection, code-compliance decision, or approval to install. If a key value is unknown or the setup is outside this scope, stop/cannot assess and consult a qualified electrician.

Light set information

Use values printed on the product or its instructions. Compare only identical sets. Do not estimate a missing label.

Number of identical light sets Needed for comparisonCount the identical sets covered by this comparison. Leave blank if unknown. AC input current per set (A) Needed for comparisonUse the actual AC INPUT amps from the product label/manual. Do not use adapter DC output current, a fuse rating, or a watts/volts guess; do not perform an energized measurement for this tool. Watts per set (informational only)Optional total watts from the product label. Watts are not converted to amps here.

Watts alone cannot determine AC input amps when power factor is unknown. This tool does not model power factor, so missing actual AC INPUT current yields Cannot assess. Do not open panels or perform energized measurements for this tool.

Do the sets connect end-to-end?Needed to check label limit Maximum connected sets (from product label)Needed if sets connect end-to-end. Leave blank if the label has no readable limit.

Circuit information

Only enter a breaker rating you have already read. Do not open a panel for this tool.

Breaker rating (A)Leave blank when unknown; no rating is assumed. Other load on this circuit known?Needed for whole-circuit comparison Other circuit input load (A)Include only known label/manual input amps for simultaneous loads on this same circuit. If incomplete, choose “I don't know.”

Extension cord information

The ESFI length/gauge table is a separate reference cap only. The actual product label and instructions control.

Is an extension cord used?Needed for cord comparison

Cord length (ft)Leave blank if unknown. The ESFI reference does not list lengths over 150 ft. Cord gauge (AWG) Cord printed rating (A)If unknown, the result cannot verify the cord. The lower label/reference value is compared only when both are known. Other load on this cord known? Other cord input load (A)Only include known label/manual input amps for simultaneous loads plugged into this same cord.

Outdoor and protection checks

Unknown ratings stay unknown; they are never treated as a pass.

Will this setup be used outdoors?Needed for outdoor checks Lights marked for outdoor use? Cord marked for outdoor use? Outdoor GFCI protection present?

Check the entered values.

Your comparison

Results

Findings

Warnings and limits

Stop and get qualified help if anything is damaged, wet, or hot; a breaker trips repeatedly; the circuit is unknown; or the display is fixed or unusually complex. Never daisy-chain extension cords or power strips.

Even “No number overage found” is not a safety approval or code-compliance result. Follow every product label and instruction.

Reference material

These sources provide context, not a substitute for a product label or qualified electrician.

ESFI extension-cord safety tips and length/gauge reference table — guidance only; verify the cord label and conditions of use.
DOE: Reducing Power Factor Cost — general context for why watts alone are not used to infer AC input current; not installation advice.
CPSC holiday lighting guidance — older material used for general inspection and outdoor-use reminders.
NFPA holiday lighting inspection context — local requirements and installation conditions vary.