What is the best way to find out why all of my outdoor christmas lights don't work? Light by light?

Answer 1

You know, I box of lights typically costs $5-$15 on average. After 1 hour of troubleshooting my lights, I gave up and bought some boxes of new ones.

Answer 2

I want to start by recommending a Non-Contact AC Voltage Detector. Believe me this will help against getting shocked and save you time.

There are a couple of things you'll need to look at. I recommend that you check each string before decorating.

POWER
Make sure you have power

FUSE
If the string is not on, check the fuse. One way of checking if the fuse works is by attaching a working second string to the other end. If none of the lights turn on, you'll need to replace the fuse on the first string. The fuse should be located inside the Male side of the string. You may find a replacement fuse in there as well. They also come in a little bag when bought new.

LIGHT BY LIGHT
Ok so if you connect the working second string to the first non working string and the second one does turn on, then that means one light on the first string is either broken or not making contact. Use the detector here on each light to see where the problem is. Or if you don't have a detector, use one of the spare lights in the little bag and start checking each light by light.

IMPORTANT
Always remember! You can only have 3 strings attached to one another. The most common mistake is people attach too many strings. If you need more strings, you'll have to get an extension cord or you will keep getting burning out your fuses.

Answer 3

There are a lot of technical outlooks to look into the cause of the lights do not work. One is the connection of the wiring from one bulb to the other, another is on how you set it on the decoration lines where the wires are suppose to be fixed, another is the durability or how old is your lights, next is the kind of lights you are using; for there are lights today sold at a very low cost and when it is displayed it turns out different, may be in some sort the line of electricity is lose or in some cases the AC you are using is different; 110-120/220-240. All these aforementioned above are cautions that are to be fixed on how you will set Christmas lights.

Answer 4

You can get a little light tester at most hardware stores. Most miniature lights today are made with a connection made in that will still pass signal when the bulb element is burnt out. Ocassionally the circuit wire goes bad preventing the other lights from working. The first thing to do is make sure there is not a flasher bulb built into the system that is bad. Replace it with a standard bulb as a start. Beyond that you can take good bulbs and sequentially cycle through the string adding good ones from the first on. Cheaper to toss and go buy a new string. Even 300 bulb icicle strings are on sale somewhere. Check at Walmart garden center for good prices.

Answer 5

I was a designer in the exterior lighting business for years. I did a lot of professional holiday lighting projects as a side service for my clients. Always lay your lights out fully extended and plug in each strand seperately to see if they work. Have them on when you decorate. If none of them work, make sure there is not an indoor switch connected to the outlets you use that may be turned off. You can invest in a light tester (they are pretty cheap,) but if you check the little fuse, and the leader bulb, and the strand still doesn't work, it's a dud. Toss it. When I work with the twinkle type lights, I cut them out of the trees at the end of the season and trash them. They are so inexpensive, it's easier to buy new each year. The time it takes to unwind them, store them and hassle with them the next year isn't worth it. Remember: you can only strand 3 lines together into one plug, so use splitters if you are using a lot of lights. Over 3 and one strand will cancel another out and it will seem like a line isn't working. also, no more than 5-7 lines of 100watt per 20 amp circuit on your electical panel, anymore and you'll trip your breakers. The best place to buy them for personal home use is a party warehouse store. They are usually $2-$3 a box. Always go after the season and stock up for next year, stores will clear them out at 75% off to get rid of left over stock. Also buy "Commercial Grade Indoor/Outdoor Super-brites" They look the best and have the longest life.
If your working with the C-9 type lights (the big bulbs used to outline the roof line of a house) they are more expensive and usually last several years, so they are worth storing away each year. Hope this helps email me if you have any other questions about lighting, I've had to troubleshoot some pretty frustrating problems over the years. Merry Christmas!

Answer 6

First, make sure you're testing them in an outlet that you know works. (I've wasted a lot of time with bad outlets.) If they still won't light up, check the fuses inside the plug itself -- usually there's a little door you can slide forward, and the fuses are little tiny cylinders with metal ends and glass centers. Hold it up against a light and look for the wire inside the glass; if you can't see it or if you can see that it's broken, replace the fuse.

If that doesn't help, you can go the more tedious route of wiggling each individual light around to see if the string turns on. (This is the problem most of the time, unfortunately.) If the string is still out, toss it in the trash and get a new one; they aren't that expensive (a 100-mini-light string where I am is between $2 and $4).

Answer 7

First you have to find out if the lights are wired in a series or parallel. The real small miniature chasing or blinking light are series connection. That mean if one is burned out it will break the circuit and all the light will be off. The best way to go about it is a bulb checker or a 9 Volt battery. You have to be real careful working with electric because if you make an error you can be dead. You need to check the electric duplet outlet with a house lamp that you know work. If you have juice at the outlet then plug in the extension cords that you will be using. If all work up to that point then the fun begin. On series light you will have to replace one bulb at a time, making sure that the bulb that you use is working. Also with the lights unplug check to see if there is an inline fuse in the light string. Some times I have had more that one bulb go bad in a string and you really need a light tester. You can take the wires on the light bulbs and touch then on a 9-volt battery and if the light bulb is good it will light. Make sure all miniature bulb are push in and tight I have had working light string and after putting then up outside have then go out and then find a loose light. On a parallel string if all the light are out you have to check the fuse, the light plug and the string for a short or open circuit. Some times it is easer to buy new light strings. I now try to stay away form the miniature blinking lights but they are pretty.

Answer 8

Radio Shack and your local hardware store have a light tester (about $2.00 - $5.00) that glows when the circuit has power. It comes with instructions, but basically you check your first light - starting with the wire going into the base. The test light will glow when you touch the wire. Next test the wire coming out of the base. It should also glow. Usually the wire coming out of the first light will go into the third light. Follow it and check the wire going into and then coming out of the next light in series (3rd). Once you get to the end of the loop, the wires go into every other light coming back toward your plug. Eventually, you will find that the tester glows going into a light - but does not glow on the wire leaving the light - & that will indicate that the circuit is broken in that light. Replace that light bulb & re-test. This can be a real pain in the butt - but it's better than replacing each light one at a time, especially if all your lights match. Good luck!

Answer 9

Presuming you have determined that there is not a bad fuse in the socket of the strand, there are two ways to test a strand to find a bad bulb without having to pull every bulb in a strand and replace it:

Method 1 - cost about $15 to $18 - using the Light Keeper Pro. It can be found at many of the large box hardware stores such as Lowes or Home Depot.

It has made its money worth this season during installation. I only lost 2 strands out of everything. It would have been about 15-20 strands if i didn't have it. So 20 strands at $2 a box, would be $40 new from Lowes minus the $16.99 LKP cost it made the money back 100%+ (and that was over only two days out of the install as most of the lights were from last years display)

DEFINITELY worth getting! It is a bit funny to use and can be a pain.

Method #2 - Obtain a commercial grade light tester (cost $150+). It is much easier to use than a light keeper pro and for large displays, it is a must have. It helps to find a bad bulb in seconds. Just plug in a light set, push the red button, and the bulb with the problem makes a loud buzzing noise. It will isolate the offending bulb for you and you can replace it in mere moments. Change that bulb and your set is fixed!

The best price I have found for one was here http://www.christmasdonebright.com/lighted-displays/light-controllers/light-tester

Answer 10

Look for a tag that reads: "Made In China." Once you find this tag, toss said lights in the garbage. Go to the nearest department store and purchase new lights. You will drive yourself nuts looking for the cause of failure. Lights are cheap and readily available. I would avoid the LARGEST RETAILER in the world and buy from a local store. This will help that mom and pop stay in business and the higher price (if any) is minimal. Spread the wealth and help your neighbor NOT some corporate fat cats that sell goods they KNOW will fail and thus bring you back to them for another purchase.

Answer 11

There is a fuse in the plug and usually all light sets come with extra bulbs and a fuse. I had no idea till I married an electrician and I have the same boring lights forever cause I know how to replace the fuse! The fuse is in the plug you will see slide the little thing up should be able to buy fuse also I have to do it on outside lights all the time! Good luck!