How to Find Bad Christmas Light Bulbs Quickly! LED or Incandescent

[@joecirillo374]

I have to tell you, I have watched so many of these videos trying to fix my half working LED lines and this the first one that has actually worked for me. Thank you very much for this!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Oh awesome! I am glad it was able to help you. Thanks a lot for the feedback!

[@petes6354]

​@@HowToHomeDIY

[@travelchannel304]

I haven't tried it but i agree.how straight forward this info is from the start.

[@l.heredia9293]

I have spent too much time trying to fix the Christmas lights with my family. This will be a game changer. Thank you

[@3FAZNI]

Same here. First and only video that are so easy to follow. Thank you so much.

[@sarahberrier8215]

Every year I try to find a good video on youtube to help me with this problem. This is the best and most helpful I've ever found. Thank you!!

[@jimstahlheber9002]

Great instructional vid for a non electrician. I have watched this last year and this year after I pulled the lights off the bushes and brought them in.

[@sreihart]

Such an enjoyable video! No long lead-in that no one wants to see. You just kept it to the subject, clean, concise and informative. You sir, deserve a raise! GREAT JOB!

[@joedematteo5163]

I know all these principles but never put the knowledge together. You da man bro. This is simple....

[@yca67]

I have a box full of the expensive lights where only half works. In the past I’ve even thrown them out. Watched your video and immediately went to Amazon for my tool. Thank you!

[@ebony5766]

This makes more sense than anything I have EVER watched!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Really glad to hear you liked it! Thanks a lot for the feedback!

[@gregwauson1321]

This is super helpful! I bought a Klein voltage tester after watching this video and it works great. Klein should give this guy a commission!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Would be nice! Glad to hear it was able to help you out! Thanks for the feedback Greg!

[@ladyknu-knu9906]

I have watched every video on You Tube on how to fix lights and yours is the best one. You explained things so much better than anyone else. Some are so technical that I had no idea what they were talking about. Yours, hands down, is the one that explains things where anyone can understand what to do. Thank you so much.

[@drhermanstein]

Just echoing a lot of the previous comments. Well shot, well recorded, well edited and the content is top notch. I now know more than when I started watching. most others just left me confused.

[@anthonyautomobile8089]

I'm a professional automotive technician, and shop owner, and I have definitely more than dabbled in AC voltage repair. I have to say this video was well produced, presented, to the point ,and informative, and I've always wanted one of those Klein non-contact detectors but since I have so many different DVOMs and even DSOs, I've always passed them up. This video has motivated me to follow the link and finally buy one. Well done, sir, and thank you! 👍🏻 (I subscribed as well!)

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Wow, really appreciate that feedback Anthony. I am glad to hear that you liked it. Thanks again for the feedback and look forward to seeing you around on the channel!

[@zhwilson2437]

In the past I’ve even thrown them out. Watched your video and immediately went to Amazon for my tool. Thank you! this is the absolute best I've seen yet. I like this method 1000% more because it's actually tracking the problem and not pulling every bulb and just guessing where the issue is at. the divide and conquere method is the tried and true way to break a problem like this down. Ordering my voltage detector tonight!

[@otakelblanchemanor0659]

I couldn't tell you how many times I have seen my mom sitting with a box of lights, going thru them one by one changing out the bulbs to find the dead one! Hmmm a Christmas memory for the much future I hope! BUT woohoo I have found the perfect gift for this amazing woman I call Mom! Finally! And for that I thank you!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

I can certainly relate to that! It can definitely be very time consuming. I am really glad to hear that this was so helpful to you and your mom! I really appreciate the feedback! Thank you.

[@TheKeymaster316]

I don't know how I've read so many posts and watched so many videos and this is the absolute best I've seen yet. I like this method 1000% more because it's actually tracking the problem and not pulling every bulb and just guessing where the issue is at. I've been in cable TV for 24 years and the divide and conquere method is the tried and true way to break a problem like this down. Ordering my voltage detector tonight!

[@shawnabell9593]

I've watched so many videos on Christmas string light repairs, and though I still haven't fixed it, I found your video most informative and in laymen's terms.

[@Johnslist]

Spot on, I had assumed this, but others were vague about how to test and replace. I'll look for broken connections, but I think it was often just unseated, from slamming around.

[@bigallis1]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the best turtorial I have ever seen on testing Christmas tree lights! Very much appreciated.

[@bellarain11]

Thank you so much! You saved me! I had just bought a few brand new set of lights out and just to be safe I tested each one of the strands prior to hanging them on the eve of my house. All worked. BUT, sure enough, the minute I was done hanging all the strands of lights, there was one strand dead smack in the middle that was completely out. Brand new and I tested it??!! 🤷🏼‍♀️ Well, thank God I came across your video because I was about to hop back on the ladder and replace that entire strand with another one. About 4 lights in… I was able to figure out which light bulb was out, put a new one in and VOILÁ!!.. no having to rip any lights down to replace them with a new strand. Thank you for taking the time to share this! Like I said… You’re a complete lifesaver ! 🙏🏼🎄

[@lyonanddebanderson4418]

dang, thank you-been throwing out half strings for years. If it works out we'll donate. great simple to understand video.

[@SLCCUlearning]

Super helpful how-to! Quick, easy to follow, with enough detail to understand what's happening and be able to do yourself. Thank you so much for posting!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You are very welcome! I am really glad to hear it was so helpful. Thank you very much for the feedback and the Super Thanks!

[@ralpho58]

Amazing. I have thrown out too many strands of Christmas lights due to the frustration of trying to find the bad bulb. Thanks for this straight forward video.

[@larrygreenwood6923]

me too

[@sheepdog401]

I wish I would have watched this before throwing out a strand of lights and replacing them ! You have given me valuable knowledge. Thank-you.

[@Samiam173]

It works without a detector as well. I tried what you said without using a detector. I started at the first bulb that was out ...no cigar, the second bulb was a charm. Back in business. THANK YOU!!!!!

[@rotl9915]

this has to be the best instructional video on youtube. thank you for your efforts.

[@Gulfshoreman]

Glad I found your video today. Just what I needed after watching another video with diagrams instead of "hands on" like yours. Much easier than the LED Light Keeper I bought several years ago which requires puncturing the wire insulation (which is sometimes nearly impossible). Used my inductive test probe to check for voltage on both sides of the socket and the Light Keeper to verify the LED is good. Troubleshooting the unlit section led me to 2 bad LEDs (one with a resistor with a broken lead) and a bad socket. For those that may not know, when testing LED bulbs there is a positive and negative lead. If it does not work one way, switch your tester on the lead. Thanks for the video!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

I am really glad to hear that you found the video helpful James! Thanks a lot for all of the feedback and tip!

[@marylobacz4753]

This is awesome! My husband used to spend hours trying to find the defective bulb. Going to invest in one of those noncontact voltage testers!

[@SB-qg3re]

Very helpful video and easy to understand. Much more precise then other videos on the same subject I have watched, without all the extraneous information. Keep up the great work and videos.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Awesome! Glad you liked it! Thanks a lot for the feedback 🙂

[@Oscar99929]

Thanks dude! Very helpful! Now I can enjoy the hunt for the bad bulb rather than dread the chore! Many thanks.

[@Oscar99929]

SO hopefully you can suggest a fix for this: I accidentally strung too many gutter-icicle lights strings together (about 7 strings) and now they all went out entirely. Usually I only string 3-4 together and then add another outlet. So my question is, where do I start checking the in-line fuses - at the beginning of the string or at the end? Thanks!

[@Oscar99929]

Got 'er done.

[@gbgentleman]

Thank you. Have a Balsam Hill tree with 'built in' lights with a section not lighting up. Of course the 'built in' bulbs are just normal strings attached to the branches and plugged into the pole. This looks like the perfect solution to finding the bad bulb.

[@Maverick-px8ir]

Wow, talk about relieving those Christmas light headaches! Just what I was looking for. Thanks!

[@larrygreenwood6923]

Amen

[@tgrigal]

Dude!! You rock. This saved my entire outside light setup for Christmas. Thanks and have a great new year!!!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You are very welcome! Really glad to hear you liked it! Thanks a lot for the feedback! You have a great new year as well!

[@LeeuwSandor]

Great Video. I got here after I had replaced the fuses and still did not get the lights to work. Getting a no contact voltage tester tool like you suggested in the video seems a no brainer and a great addition to my tool box. Many Thanks!

[@MikeFarris1]

😱 I have never thought of this, I have the exact same tool. I tossed strands because I hate pulling out each bulb to test. Thank you for this video.

[@stevensafford6273]

How to view video

[@pinkiepromises2014]

Thank you so much for quickly and clearly explaining how to fix a bad string of Christmas lights - much appreciated!

[@nancyh.5950]

I wish I had seen your video 2 weeks ago when my pre-lit artificial tree had only half its lights working. It was too much to find the problem so I spent over 4 hours removing the lights. It was a tedious job cutting and unwinding the strands from each branch. This method might have saved me the time and trouble of removing the lights.

[@darma8030]

I have watched several videos to find out why my pre-lit Christmas tree is giving me fits but I just didn’t get it. You did an amazing job at explaining what is going on!! THANK YOU from the tips of my aching thumbs and ragged fingernails!! (Next time I buy a tree it will be based on how easy the bulbs are to remove!!)

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You're welcome! Glad it helped! Give those fingers a break. 😂 Thanks for the feedback.

[@waltciii3]

This is great information! I can only imagine all the salvageable light strands I have binned.

[@rafb17]

Perfect! Very clear and easy to understand! You are a natural teacher!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Really glad to hear it was helpful. Thanks a lot for the feedback Jim!

[@horizen12]

I had a tester, never could figure out how it worked, and just got to the point of throwing them away in frustration. I know exactly what I was doing wrong the whole time now. Thank you so much.

[@phoenixhvac-r828]

Great advise on tracking these opens, also have found if its not the bulb check for disconnected wiring at bulb junctions, very cheaply made.

[@thebulge3396]

Great video!! I was just getting ready to give several strands the ol' heave ho when I came across this. Thanks for the great tutorial on this matter. Now I'm off to the hardware store to get the non contact meter.

[@tonyhericks182]

Finally something that makes perfect sense...i know what Im doing next year if we run into light issues again...

[@JT_70]

I wish I had seen this a couple of weeks ago. My wife was determined to find the bad bulb(s) in the lights which are pre wired into our tree. She used my voltage tester and even changed almost every bulb on that string but never found the culprit, so she bought a new string and wove it into the tree. We’ll try again next year and follow your process. We were unaware of the possible need to reverse the plug in the outlet.

[@milfordcivic6755]

Do yourself a favor, don't buy pre-lit trees. Once they get to be 3-4 seasons old, the whole light sets start to fail and it's impossible to find the bulb, because they all fail at the same time.

[@lazrados]

Awesome video. Just got 2 sets of 30 feet LED Christmas lights up and running. Thank you very much !!!!!!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You are very welcome! Really glad to hear that it helped you! Thanks for the feedback.

[@MikeBee77]

Just amazing, thanks for sharing this, it is frustrating test bulb by bulb, pulling them out.

[@andrewschilling3912]

Thanks for clearly showing the logical troubleshooting technique to detect bulb and wire failures. I've got my LightKeeper Pro and will apply these principles you demo-ed. Appreciate the tutorial!

[@JustinGuyer]

This was such a great and easy to understand explanation. And best of all it worked! My half strand of lights I've been hanging onto for years now fully lights up! Thank you so much!

[@gl35]

You made my day. Thanks. I was throwing away whole strands before. Now, I know better.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Awesome! Glad you liked it. Thank you for the feedback!

[@ysmuse]

Thanks for sharing... It's exactly what I am experiencing: the end half lid up but the first part. Will check it with your approach and see how's going...

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You are welcome. Good luck on the search!

[@frankbell4043]

Exceptional video! I had been testing using a similar tester, but I had obviously not been doing something right. Thank you!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You are very welcome! Really glad to hear you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback Frank!

[@tonyyoung3902]

Thanks I was trying to figure out my lights and wasn't having any luck. I didn't realize the the power and neutral swapped when flipping the plug. Once I saw that I was good to go. Thank you very much.

[@cbpaxton00]

I have that tool and never thought about using it for Christmas lights. Great idea

[@beltonebrad]

Best explanation and solution I have seen so far on this topic

[@BA-pg4od]

Great video. I learned something new today. Thanks.

[@ChristopherDillman]

5:08 - Fascinating. Glad I found this vid. Going to add that tool to my toolkit!

[@airmojo]

Putting away the Christmas stuff, and had a light strand do this where only half was lit... I told my wife I might need a KZbin video to help figure this out without taking all day... HAH ! So here I am, and tomorrow I will be going to Home Depot to buy that Non-Contact Voltage tester... the 12v to 1000v model would be ideal for my O-gauge model train layout too ! Thank you for the excellent video... Happy New Year !

[@joeshmoe7789]

Just ordered the tester. Now I can't wait for the my lights to go out!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

😂

[@romavilla7855]

😂😂😂.. you don’t have to like your lights goes off during cold weather..🥶🤔🤔..?

[@eugenelove874]

You won't have to wait long 😂

[@Schollii68]

Enlightening explanation 😂 But seriously useful, esp the trick of turning the plug! My case is a little more complicated because the lights are attached to a Christmas tree so the strands are near impossible to separate and it's really hard to follow the chord around the branches. There's got to be a trick I'm missing!

[@Samiam173]

I just fixed the wrap around light strands on my stair case...just start at the first on out that you can get to and replace the bulb and keep going. It may be hard but it's better than taking them all down. YOU CAN DO IT!

[@jackbenimble4067]

Thanks Adam. Even though this video is older the info stands and its easy to fix them now. You and the family have a Blessed and Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You are very welcome! Really glad to hear you found it as helpful as I have. Thanks a lot for the feedback Jack! Hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year as well! God bless and take care!

[@donaldadiska8100]

Thanks! Wish I'd though of that before trashing those lights, but no more. You jusy saved me hunderds next year (since multiple sets go out every year)!

[@jimsjacob]

This was great stuff! Really self evident if you think about it, but I hadn’t I guess…. Broken down like this, the logic can be applied to many projects. I had an LED string that was not working and I did resolve it, but not in the smart manner that is outlined here. I have all the tools you used, less the common sense! 😅

[@awgoodrich8]

DOOOOOD...this was awesome. I've even put that tested on my AZ wish list for Christmas. Thank you.

[@about2flip]

Thank you so much!!! Fixed my lights in a matter of minutes. Luckily I had that tool. 😊

[@GunnyPhillips]

Nice video. These strands are so cheap as to not be worth the troubleshooting time, in my opinion. I've moved to LED rope lights for my tree. You don't get the classic look but they work flawlessly year after year and give you all sorts of color options at the press of a button.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Hmm I always have a few strands of LEDs that need troubleshooting each year.

[@fredbaker6315]

Thank you for a very well explained video dealing with half working strands of lights.

[@zhwilson2437]

我昨天修理有一个灯条有一半不工作，唉，修了我一整天，每个都拉出来搞还不能100%找到坏的那个灯泡，你这个视频教的非常好，我今天晚上马上去买那个秤测电笔. 非常感谢

[@daphrampa]

I haven't tried your way yet, but knowing the process now, I'm confident it will work. I'll drop a video of my experience and tag you in it

[@hugeant97]

This was genuinely super useful. It might be worth setting up an affiliate link. Would love to give you a kickback when buying the tool you linked.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Awesome! Really glad to hear it and thank you for wanting to help support the channel. You can find a link for it down in the video’s description. Thanks again for the feedback!

[@drheili]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. So obvious, yet I missed it for years. Just use the same non-contact tester I've been using for years. No more over-priced and awkward to use string testers. This is simplicity at it's best.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Glad it was helpful!

[@timothysaja7253]

Thanks!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You are welcome! Thanks a lot for the Super Thanks!

[@jimmy_image]

Thanks, I forgot about the broken leads on the LEDs. Noticed that last year and forgot. I took one apart and noticed it is the resistor lead that seems to break most often. I didn't have a tester so I had to pull each LED and inspect the leads.

[@salemlasvegas]

This helped me so much. Im going to buy the exact voltage tester you are using here. I learned a bit and took some notes. ;) Thank you!

[@eugenetswong]

This is definitely helpful. It actually makes the process fun, and less of a chore. Thank you. I'd love to be able to make a detector at home.

[@Ralph5151]

Thank you, best video I've seen regarding this issue with Christmas lights. You made it easy to locate the bad bulb. Thanks again....

[@almonchisholm415]

Thanks for this, going to lower my BP at Christmas time in the future.

[@allermenchenaufder]

Very informative ! Thank you, saved this Halloween by repairing favorite lights.

[@bluzzjazz]

Very helpful thanks, faced with this last week, trying to find the bad one by looking at the bulb.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You are welcome! Glad it was helpful! Thanks a lot for the feedback.

[@zmaxx21]

You have very nice hands! Oh, and great video on how to fix your Christmas lights.

[@RLDenham]

Thank you for the information this video is much better than most on the sibject. I still prefer to buy high quality lights instead of working on broken big box store brand strings & nets. I used to waste time trying to fix lights knowing all the technical reasons why they failed when it was clear I could have spent that time at a job & earned enough to buy new lights I stoped the madness of repairing cheap lights. In some cases were I can't get a type from a high quality source I buy new units & swap the bad ones out for the good & return them as defective.

[@cindyhenry1410]

QUESTION: how do you fix strands that have an every-other bulb arrangement, or ones where the whole strand is dead because of one bad bulb?

[@johnadams2313]

Thanks for the tips. I have a string that is not working too!

[@MWPiczak]

Well presented. Not a wasted word. Thank you. Congrats.

[@slc6900]

THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO AND INFO....WISH I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS LIKE THE PAST 40 YEARS! BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Haha that is true! Hope this will save you time from here on out! Thanks for the feedback.

[@larryborshard7824]

Love your videos, Adam, always great. Great explanation about polarity and switching the plug around if needed before starting this process. Tried my Klein NCVT-2 on two 35-light GE Twinkle sets (each bulb twinkles independently) from the 1980s. Worked like a charm on the first string, found one bulb out, replaced it, back up and twinkling. Second string was possessed. Results were inconsistent. Changed my tester batteries, same results. Thought maybe I had a broken wire, or that bulbs were breaking from age while I was testing. Big problem seemed to be broken leads, when I took out a suspect bulb. Had trouble getting the knack for where to put the tester nose on the wire. Finally got to the end and got the string working. Gently moved it around, lights stayed on, so I don't think there's a broken wire. (Yet!) Thanks again!

[@Britineeng]

Your video is the best on this topic! Thank you

[@JJ-np1ig]

Dude!! Fantastic! Thank you. Simple, easy directions with a basic electrical tool. Great job and thanks again! :-)

[@joshuabower219]

This was very helpful, thank you! Me and me dad set up a 30ft light tree every year and every year half the lights are dead. This will definitely help!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Awesome! You’re welcome! Glad it was helpful. Would like to see what that tree looks like. I built one but not nearly that large. Bet it looks great!

[@Blaydrnnnr]

Good video, well explained for those who didnt know how light strings work. I already knew how to detect if a bulb is bad if half the string is out, but more frequently these days, my strands are completely out, OR, the lights will glow so very faintly, that they are almost undetectable. In the case of them still having power to the next plug end, but not lighting, glowing very very faintly, I have never been able to figure out what was wrong, maybe something with the rectifier? But on LED srands WITH replaceable bulbs, and the entire strand out, I'm not sure whats going on here. My "no touch" voltage detector shows power the entire length?

[@brngrofdeth]

Perfect! Thank you very much. Love and blessings from Ontario Canada!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You are very welcome! Glad you found it helpful. Love and blessing to you too! Stay warm up there!

[@nobious]

Thank you for this! I swear every year a different strand stops working. Now I know how to find the culprit.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Yup! You put them in the box working just fine then a year later take them out and some don't work. Not quite sure what happens to them while they are just laying in a box. Appreciate the feedback!

[@Willhug-gq7qx]

For years I've done it the hard way. THANKS 🎉

[@jenbea4753]

Fantastic demonstration. Way easier than trying to use a big volt meter. Will be getting that volt tester by Klien tools. Thanks😁

[@curiosity2314]

Very very very good! Not nuclear science but I never thought about checking the lights from this angle.

[@MikesGarage96]

Very helpful! I’ve got that same tester, never thought of using it like this

[@AkashJinandra]

This is the well explained video on lights!

[@jenroberts2382]

Very very helpful and clear! Appreciate your clarity and brevity! We learned a lot and with the tool feel confident we can fix our lights!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Awesome! Glad you liked it! Thank you very much for the feedback.

[@aaronarmstead1083]

Fc HD hg7×6

[@davejohnson6738]

Nice , I will follow your advice to check charismas light this year.

[@dlipp23]

Great explanation and video, going to try it now. Thanks 🙏🏼

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You are very welcome! Really glad to hear you liked it! Thanks a lot for the feedback!

[@jetstream3528]

Good work. My local landfill extends it's love. So does my pocketbook

[@lois4329]

Hi this is great! Thank you. What if you only have an older style voltage meter? Can you use these to test, not being an electrician.