![]() That way, you'll look forward to a bright and trouble-free holiday next year. Tripped circuit breakers, blown fuses, and burnt-out bulbs are the most common problems, and thankfully, each one has a simple fix.īefore you pack your Christmas decorations away at the end of the season, give your string lights a post-holiday checkup. "To ball lights, hold the plug in your hand and wind the strand around your hand tightly to make a ball shape." Insider's takeawayĬhristmas light problems can quickly drain the joy out of your holiday decorating happiness. Quick tip: The best way to store Christmas lights to prevent damage is to "ball" them, says Bello. When it's time to trim the tree next year, your lights should all be working. Throw away strands with broken or frayed cords. As you take down each strand of lights, replace any burnt-out or broken bulbs. ![]() One half of the string went dark, so I suppose one of the LEDs on that circuit is bad, or its connection is faulty. There is a 110V socket on the other end of the string, so these can be chained together. SolStock/Getty ImagesĪ great way to prevent future problems is to test your lights at the end of the season, says McCoy. Most LED sockets have 2 wires connected to them, some have three. Inspect lights for any signs of damage before and after use. Be sure to firmly seat each bulb in its socket when replacing it. When half of a TREE stops lighting, youd better be able to. Place a piece of masking tape on each wire on either side of the damaged portion you are cutting away, about 2 inches on either side of the damage. Once you find the faulty bulb, unplug the associated light strand from the outlet and replace the faulty bulb with a new bulb. When half of a 100-light miniature light strand gives out and you cant fix it, youre out maybe 6. Make sure the light string is unplugged at both ends before you attempt to splice holiday lights. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to test each bulb. If no bulbs are visibly damaged, and your lights are not working, use a bulb tester, says McCoy. Check the entire strand of lights for a missing, damaged, or abnormal looking bulb, according to the Christmas Light Company website. When to try it: When no bulbs are visibly damaged and the lights aren't working Leaving burnt-out bulbs on a string of working lights increases stress on the working lights, and shortens their lifespan, explains McCoy. Professional Christmas light installation costs 424 on average for exterior holiday lighting, with a typical range between 218 and 664. Quick tip: To increase the lifespan of a string of lights, replace burnt-out bulbs promptly. "Just be sure to use bulbs with the same voltage rating as the rest of your string lights," says McCoy. To fix burnt-out bulbs, untangle all string lights and check for frayed wires, damaged sockets, or broken bulbs.ĭiscard any damaged bulbs, and then replace them with spare ones. Plug in the cord and check each bulb one by one to make sure that there are no broken or burned out bulbs. Then, start from the plug-in end to test the lights. This is good news, and you don't need to do anything further, other than taking care not to plug in multiple high-voltage electrical items simultaneously in the same area of the house.If the fuse isn't the problem, there is probably a problem with a bulb, says McCoy. The first step to testing Christmas lights is to check the fuse box to make sure that the lights are properly plugged in and the fuse is not blown. ![]() If the bulbs light back up, an overloaded and tripped electrical circuit was likely your problem. You can often tell which circuit was tripped because the switch will be slightly out of alignment with the others. What To Do When Pre-Lit Tree Lights Go Out Visually inspect that the strands are plugged into the pole on both ends. Once you locate the circuit you believe is tripped in the panel, move the switch all the way to the "off" position, and then to the "on" position. You will need to manually check which bulbs are broken. To do this, locate the labeled circuit in the metal circuit box panel, which is usually found in your home's utility room, basement, or garage. If the bulbs and shunts are both damaged the entire light string will lose current flow and go dark. To check the circuit breaker, plug the lights into an electrical outlet. An overloaded electrical circuit - a situation where more electrical demand is placed on an outlet than it can handle - is the most common (and least serious) reason for this, he explains. ![]() ![]() If none of the bulbs in a string of Christmas lights work, and you also notice that other lights in the same section of the house go out, you've likely tripped the circuit breaker, says Bello. When to try it: When none of the lights work. Reset the circuit by turning the switch off and on again. ![]()
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