Xmas Tree Light Strings

[Bill Tattersall]

Here's a real off topic. Every year when I get out the lights I end up with strings that were perfectly good when I put them away and now have half the lights not lit. Its like there is a gremlin that sits in the box for 11 months plotting against me. Any thoughts? See photo with all the lights lit on the right side (pliers) and no lights lit on the left side (wrench).

 

[funky_g00]

I know the handy work of those gremlins all too well. I have spent a couple hours each of the last two nights fixing just that problem. I know I have fixed at least 4 strands so far, with another 2 to 3 to go. Half have been easy (broken or missing bulb) the other half required pulling and checking every bulb in the dead half until I find the burned out or poorly connected bulb.

 

[Charles in Aus.]

You have been BAD and Santa's elves are punishing you ! :lol:

 

[Roger in Iowa]

Some of the bulbs are hard to get loose from the socket. I found a pocket knife blade between the socket and bulb base plastic and wiggle it sideways really helps, but had them all laying on the kitchen table.

 

[Steve@Advance]

One of the unsolved mysteries of the world!

I'm usually very reluctant to dispose of anything without at least giving it some effort to repair it, but Christmas lights are my exception!

If replacing the fuse doesn't do it, they go in the trash!

Life is too short, not worth the frustration!

 

[DaleinWV]

too late for me this year, but found a video on how to check em....
checking christmas lights non contact tester

 

[MarkB_MI]

I only use LED lights these days; they're much more reliable but do fail from time to time. And, IMO, life is too short to waste it troubleshooting Xmas light strings. So if they fail I pitch 'em.

 

[Loosehandle]

I've tried some led strings they seem kinda dim outside at a distance and the colors are more suitable for Easter, pastels.

 

[ss55]

It seems whenever I spent a lot of time getting Christmas lights working, within a week they would fail again. Now I just replace the whole string when they fail. The outdoor lights get replaced or switched to other uses after three seasons. Lights are cheap in the after Christmas sales.

 

[Janicholson]

Stores that sell lights also sell non contact testers that locate dead bulbs. Easy and pretty fast. Using a good known bulb you can leap frog down the string pulling the first and replacing it, then using that good bulb in the next and so on till it lights. Rarely are there 2 bad bulbs in the dead part of the string.
Jim

 

[whereswaldo]

Just had this a couple days ago; entire string of LEDs wouldn't light and I THOUGHT the miniature fuses had blown. No such luck! It was the in-line diode. Only took about half an hour to figure it out. Circuit tester read closed circuit; no opens.

 

[Bob Harvey]

Solved that conundrum some years ago. Kids moved out to carry on with their lives and we quit using Xmas lites. Problem solved !

 

[rustyfarmall]

I don't need the frustration, so we just don't do it anymore. Bought a small artificial tree with lights already on it and that is all we do.

 

[wore out]

(quoted from post at 11:21:15 12/03/21) Stores that sell lights also sell non contact testers that locate dead bulbs. Easy and pretty fast. Using a good known bulb you can leap frog down the string pulling the first and replacing it, then using that good bulb in the next and so on till it lights. Rarely are there 2 bad bulbs in the dead part of the string.
Jim

Sadly, because of the nature of LED's the non-contact bulb testers don't work with LED sets.

Below is a link to a tester made for the LED sets, and it actually uses a needle to pierce the wire's insulation in multiple places to locate the bad LED.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjfYDeSxko4

I ordered one a few days ago (more out of curiosity than anything), it will be interesting to see how aggravating it is when it shows up!

 

[Ozlander]

(quoted from post at 08:29:22 12/03/21) I've tried some led strings they seem kinda dim outside at a distance and the colors are more suitable for Easter, pastels.

That used to be the case.
Now the LEDs are a lot brighter and more all-around light.