UL or Underwriters Laboratory is one of the better know testing facilities in the US. Formerly an insurance industry standard, the UL is now an independent, non-profit organization with no legal ties. UL test electrical equipment and components for safety and malfunction. When a product is UL listed it means that they have evaluated it's performance and it meets their requirements for general electrical safety. It is important to understand that UL is one of many such testing laboratories and while it is the most recognized name for the service they provide, it is not necessarily the best or the standard by which to compare.
A UL listing is not necessary to sell a product in the US and by no means suggests that a product is unsafe to use if it is not UL listed.
In 2002 UL published new standards for flexible lighting products. Known as UL 2388-Flexible Lighting Products, it states that all rope light products manufactured after November of 2003 must conform to the new UL standards. The changes in policy are summarized as follows:
Field Cutting
Cutting and/or splicing by an uncertified end user is no longer permitted. Only authorized, licensed (by the UL) rope light distributors are permitted to cut to a specified length. This means special order rope lights only with pre-molded ends which come at a highly increased cost. Most wholesalers and retailers CLAIM to offer UL listed lights. This claim is only valid if you plug in the entire roll of 150' of rope light. As soon as the installer or end user cuts the rope lights they are no longer UL certified.
Heavy Duty Power Cords
The new UL 2388 standard requires that heavy duty SJT fused plugs be used on all outdoor rope lighting applications.
Lower Wattage Bulbs
In some instances where rope light was covered up by other material or touching itself it had the potential to overheat. The new standard calls for lower wattage bulbs (dimmer bulbs) which produce less heat.
Mounting
The new UL requires rope lights to be mounted in such a way that it does not require a tool to remove them.
Important Note
While a UL listing is a concern for some people, other organizations such as the Nation Electrical Code Standards are not only more practical to every day use of flexible lighting products, but also offer a broader examination of the many safe applications of rope lights. Non UL listed rope lighting is still the choice of the majority of buyers as the new UL regulations are so stringent that they require specialty licenses to sell legally to the general public. Many companies will falsely claim to sell you UL listed rope lights when the truth is, the UL listing is null and void after your first cut.
We maintain that when rope lights are installed correctly, they do not propose any safety risk to the end user. For more information on installation see our
rope light installation instructions or for additional questions about UL listed products please contact us at
sales@birddogdistributing.com.
