How To Repair 3 Wire Christmas Lights

how to fix christmas lights, man holding fairy lights

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The joyous holiday flavour is virtually upon us, only there'southward one tradition I hope to avoid this year: dealing with burned-out Christmas lights.

Each holiday season I unpack, untangle, and plug in the previous year's mini lights, only to notice they don't work. Sometimes individual lights are burned out, and other times the entire string seems dead. Are these lights worth saving, or should I but toss them out and purchase new ones?

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I acknowledge that diagnosing and fixing Christmas lights can exist frustrating, simply with a petty determination and a few specialty tools, yous tin can repair well-nigh faulty light strings.

How to Fix Christmas Lights

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1. Diagnose the problem.

Advisedly inspect each string of lights earlier plugging it into an electrical outlet. If yous see cracked or slit insulation, frayed or bare wires, or damaged plugs, discard the cord.

At present, determine if it's actually a bad bulb causing the malfunction or something else. If it'south a smaller light prepare, it'south likely wired in serial: the electric current passes through each individual bulb in order to complete the circuit and illuminate the set.

Larger light sets oftentimes take ii or more than circuits wired in parallel, which explains why sometimes just a department of the string goes dark. In virtually cases, simply replacing one bad seedling will gear up the unabridged fix or one darkened section of information technology.

two. Find the bad bulb, and bandy information technology out.

Locating the i faulty bulb that's causing the trouble tin be tricky. The best pick is to use either an electrician's multimeter or a tool specifically designed for repairing Christmas lights, such equally the Lightkeeper Pro. It combines a voltage detector, bulb remover, bulb and fuse testers, and shunt repairer in i compact tool.

You may exist able to reveal the bad seedling by just plugging the lights into an electric outlet. If you're lucky, the "bad" bulb isn't actually bad at all. It may simply be loose and needs to be pressed downward more than firmly into its socket.

Also, remove the bulb and look closely at the two tiny wires protruding from its base. They should exist firmly fastened and not touching each other. Plus, each wire should be laid flat against the outside of the bulb. When you button the bulb back into its socket, the wires complete the electrical connection.

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You can besides exam the bulb using the LightKeeper Pro, or a multimeter. If you detect the seedling is burned out or damaged, supersede information technology with a new bulb. Just exist sure it has the proper voltage rating or y'all take chances damaging the whole light set.

iii. Set the faulty filament or shunt.

If all or part of a string of lights is dark, the trouble may be a broken filament or a faulty shunt. (A shunt is a device that allows current to continue flowing through a circuit by creating a path of lower resistance than the original path. In incandescent holiday lights, shunts are small wires wrapped beneath the filament.)

If a bulb'southward filament breaks, the shunt redirects current through the base of operations of the bulb, maintaining the electrical circuit. A faulty shunt may sound like a catastrophic failure, but y'all tin can often set up it with the LightKeeper Pro.

Only plug in the lite strand and remove a seedling that's in or near the nighttime section. Next, insert the tool into the seedling's socket and clasp the trigger to actuate a piezo circuit. A high-energy pulse will shoot through the set up and after about twenty pulses whatsoever faulty shunt should exist re-activated. Pretty cool, right?

If you're all the same having trouble locating the broken circuit, try using a voltage detector. You tin can buy ane for about $10 or so, but there's also one built into the LightKeeper Pro.

4. Replace the fried fuse.

If the voltage detector doesn't find anything wrong, there's i more than thing to attempt: Check the tiny fuse located behind a pocket-size sliding door on the male person end of the plug. If the fuse is fried (you can bank check it with the LightKeeper Pro), replace it with a new 1 of the same amperage, which should be indicated on the plug. If after all the testing the light cord still doesn't illuminate, information technology's time to get some new lights.

five. Upgrade your lights.

If you're ownership new lights, consider upgrading to LED Christmas lights. There are many benefits to LEDs that make them a bang-up choice over incandescents. They're more energy efficient, last much longer, and tin be programmed to brandish different colors and patterns. Plus, LED lights are more durable and less probable to break than traditional bulbs. Here are some of our favorite string Christmas lights for indoors and out.