https://stream.echo6.co/videos/watch/c4514520-7141-4dcb-b85e-c45c2e8db1fc Grey import Christmas lights have been sold on eBay for a very long time. These are products that are shipped directly from countries with lower electrical safety standards than the country they're being shipped to. In doing so they bypass a wall of testing and approval to make sure they pose a low shock and fire risk. Amazon seem to be getting better in this regard, but do still occasionally show products from rogue vendors. In the case of these eBay lights they just made a mockery of safety. The plug should be fitted with a 3A fuse that is actually in circuit. A typical UK socket is 240V protected by a 32A circuit breaker, and requires a suitable fuse to protect the load and its cable. In this case the cable would burn and possibly ignite. The flex between the plug and controller has two white cores that are very thin and appear to be copper coated aluminium. The controller's cable connection point can be popped open effortlessly, exposing live connections. The wiring of the string is very thin and would classify as single insulated, only suited for low voltage use. There's no strain relief to stop the wires being pulled out of the lights - exposing live connections. The heatshrink sleeve is thin and easily pierced by a wire end or solder point. The resistors are very small and often run at well above their rated power, risking melting of the sleeving and subsequent exposure of live connections. It's not uncommon to find bare live wire or unsleeved LEDs along the cable run as nothing is properly tested. These lights are often sold as suitable for indoor or outdoor use. They are NOT waterproof in any way and can pose a shock risk if handled while wet, or leak current onto touchable metalwork like railings. If that happens it may be pulsing DC leakage which may defeat some protective devices. The cost of these lights has risen to the point they are close, if not more than a locally sourced country-compliant set that has proper insulation or an SELV (Separated Extra Low Voltage) power supply for safety. These lights pose a hazard to kids and pets who are attracted to the flashing lights and will handle them. In the right circumstances they could deliver a dangerous shock. Only buy your lights from a prominent local retailer or known brands who have to comply with local standards. If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:- http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty. #ElectronicsCreators Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:50:06 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://stream.echo6.co https://stream.echo6.co/client/assets/images/icons/icon-512x512.png https://stream.echo6.co/videos/watch/c4514520-7141-4dcb-b85e-c45c2e8db1fc All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://stream.echo6.co/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.