The SECRET Trick To Find Faulty Christmas Lights In Under 1 Minute! LED Or Incandescent

[@HowToHomeDIY]

How many of you have dealt with this in the past or maybe are dealing with it right now? Try this method out. It saves me a ton of time and I wanted to pass it along to all of you!

[@cyberpeasantvideo]

I used this method on an LED strand that had a segment not lighting up. The NCVD found voltage down the entire length of the strand. First I tried a known good bulb in every socket manually, and when that didn't work I ended up having to check each bulb individually with a 3v battery - just my luck there was more than one bad bulb. I'm still confused as to why the NCVD found current throughout the segment that was not lighting up. Can LED bulbs be bad but still feed current down the line?

[@philipt.ferrara8067]

It probably has a shunt like the incandescent strings have.You are senseing voltage through the shunt.When the whole string is out it means that the filament is burned out and the shunt is not working.

[@LumberjackPa]

Thanks for the better understanding of exactly how the strands work! This was very useful information to keep from wasting gas and money running to get new strands as well as saving room in the landfills.

[@cyberpeasantvideo]

@@philipt.ferrara8067 If it has a working shunt and current is passing to the other bulbs down the line, why aren't they lighting up?

[@cyberpeasantvideo]

@@philipt.ferrara8067 They're LEDs so no filament. If the shunt is NOT working, why is there current present all the way down the segment (end-to-end, not just as far as a second bad bulb)? And if there is current present all the way down, why are none of the LEDs lighting (not even as far as the first bad bulb)? The whole concept of a shunt that provides current but doesn't light anything is still confusing me. Why have a shunt at all? All it does is make a NCVT useless for finding the bad bulb(s).

[@Hangover_Bear]

WOW!!! 🤯 This is by far the best video I’ve ever seen explaining how they actually function and the best way of troubleshooting them. It also explains why I’ve had so much trouble and get frustratingly different results not realizing the plug orientation mattered to how the power was fed to the two different halves.

[@edwardpaulsen1074]

This is a very practical demonstration in electrical troubleshooting practices... We divide the "problem equipment" in half and see which side it stops working, then divide that section in half again... one or two more iterations and we have narrowed in pretty close to the problem area and only have a few points to check and repair/replace... saves an absolute TON of time! Very effective lesson for under 15 minutes~!

[@Robo4720011]

I work at a hardware store and one of my responsibilities is processing defective returns. This video is a goldmine of information for that part of my job this time of year and for my customers as well. I will definitely be sharing this with coworkers and customers for troubleshooting light strings. Thank you How To Home!

[@bigd3104]

I can remember, some 55+ years ago, mom and dad pulling out the Christmas lights every year and, inevitably, one light on a strand would be out. They would take a good bulb and go one at a time thru the whole strand, unscrewing each of the old incandescent bulbs, screwing in the good one, down the entire strand, until they found the burned out one. When i got older i took over the time consuming chore every year. Just part of the Christmas tradition! LoL

[@lancelot1953]

Hi Bigd3104, they did sell and still make sets that would by-pass the burn bulb without interrupting the entire circuitry - you will recognize them as three-wire set-ups on these "improved" set. Happy Holidays, Ciao, L

[@GaiaCarney]

@bigd3104 - um . . . you just described me in my shop doing the exact. same. thing. The year? 2024 🤪

[@SteeringWheelOperator]

You, sir, with this video, have saved countless numbers of men a trip to the funny farm. Thank you.

[@jjackson4829]

Boy, I'll second that!

[@atticdiver6741]

I'll third it!!!

[@rallegra]

After having driven to a mountain and tossing the strings of lights into a deep canyon! With force. LOL

[@lynb2039]

This woman goes to the funny farm every year and I attest that I do nt like green eggs and ham or BROKEN LIGHTS ON THE LAM!

[@tchevrier]

a couple of comments on LED lights. - LED can fail in a few different ways. They can fail open circuit, short circuit, and even just dim. - If they fail short, it's pretty easy to find the bulb. It's the only one that's out. - If they fail open, then the entire string is out and you have to search for the blown led. The non-contact tester can be useful but it can also be difficult. First of all, keep it still. Moving it can simulate a signal. Also LEDs have a voltage drop across each one, so as you move away from the end of the string, the voltage on the wire drops. That makes the signal weaker and you need to adjust the sensitively of the tester. However that introduces more error as it can pick up erroneous signals. - If you have a string that is dim, that becomes more of a challenge. - LEDs lights strings can also come in a 120v configuration or they have have a small power transformer to convert the 120v ac signal to a dc signal. If you are replacing the transformer then make sure you are getting the correct voltage and current rating. Otherwise you might destroy the entire string. -LED lights that are wired for 120v are specifically designed for the colour of LEDs being used. Always replace one colour with the same colour,. If you can't, try and replace red and yellow with green blue or white, not the other way around. Otherwise you can blow the entire string of LEDs.

[@kimchianthony]

DUDE!!!! THIS WAS AWESOME! Learned TONS from you, but THIS HAS to be the MOST satisfying. Got kiddos using that tool and they have a blast doing something that NO ONE wants to do! 😂

[@Dawn_Hannah]

I always loved “fixing” the lights as a kid! I was also the master of untangling them, so the rest of the family was glad to let me tackle that chore alone. 🤣 Good luck to your little helpers!

[@CarbonPhysics]

I've used one of those tools for two decades, and I never thought of using it for this. Thank you! It seems obvious now.

[@coloradoyeti3091]

Awesome!! Thank you!!! Whatever electrical engineer who designed these lights will have a special place in Purgatory saved for them.

[@tchevrier]

facepalm. NO, they are actually designed very well. The issue is the poor manufacturing quality, not the engineering.

[@Kephartable]

A manufacturing engineer figured out how to make a line of lights as cheap as possible and here is what we get

[@amerlin388]

Well explained. I would use a pair of spring clothespins to mark which were the last two bulbs tested as I halve sections to narrow down the problem bulb.

[@closer2fine]

Thank you so much! Today I fixed an old, very old string of lights that held a sentimental value and made me very happy!

[@marilynking6535]

Thank you, I learn so much from you, being a widow, no plans of remarry, thankfully u have videos that help single people, with things my spouse always took care of , didn't get a chance to teach before God took him home Amen ❤😊

[@thisismyaltaccount85]

🥺 God bless you

[@richtully3020]

OMG. I wish I could’ve seen this video about 20 years ago. The one thing I hate the most about Christmas is dealing with those stupid lights. If I knew how to do this back then, it would’ve made Christmas a whole lot nicer. But, hey, I’ll be ready for next year and the years to come. Thanks for the video.

[@KLondike5]

Could have opened a lemonade type stand that was just for "fixing your Christmas lights!"

[@duudsuufd]

I had this regularly happen too. Test the light string inside: OK. Test it connected outside: OK. Spread it out in the tree, test: OK but need to arrange them somewhat better. Done, test: OK and beautiful. Attach some of the cables to the branches with rope. Finished! Put the power on again: NOTHING.

[@stevenschwartz4882]

That's a lot of work I'd rather buy a new strand of lights than double round trying to fix string of lights

[@stevenschwartz4882]

Who really cares who has time for this s***

[@duudsuufd]

@@stevenschwartz4882 Some people, including me, prefer to repair things even if it is not worth the time and money. It must be in the genes. Even if it does not work, you learn something how it was made.

[@sabingratz]

You’re really good at explaining things clearly and in-depth at the same time, I really appreciate it.

[@Jtsct-l7t]

I actually fixed one of these freeking monstrosities thank you for explaining without getting so technical.

[@frankthetunaman1413]

Had I seen this video years ago, you would have saved me hundreds of dollars. Thank you for taking the time to help us all!

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

Logically explained. I have a non-contact tester of a different sort (maybe Klein too?), and I will try this out tomorrow. I go with the 50 LED strings of which I have 7. EVERY blue and most of the green LED's burnt out. I got some 3mm LED's off Amazon for cheap of red, orange, yellow, blue and green. You have to solder the appropriate resistor to protect the LED. I have been doing the use a known good bulb and pull and test method which REALLY sucks; so your system will save a lot of time. I have them strung around the living room up high and they are on pretty much 24-7 and now no dead ones for a LONG time. Suggestion, do a vid on modding the LED's from a bulk pack.

[@christianthompson9085]

I’ve been in construction for 30 years. My Pops told me when I was a kid that no matter how experienced you are……….always listen to the other fella…….because you will learn something new everyday. Thanks for your videos 🙏🏽👍🏼

[@paulromsky9527]

At 3:45 That tester has a trigger, I will explain why in a minute. Most incandescent sets have bulbs that short out when the filament burns out. The idea is: If a bulb burns out (blows), a tiny partially insulated wire (the Shunt) that is wrapped around the two leads inside the bulb will suddenly have a large voltage across it the instant the filiment burns out. The insulation will break down and that wire will fuse (weld) to the two leads shorting them together. That bulb goes out but the rest of the circuit stays lit. The problem is: Once one bulb shorts out, the rest of the bulbs in the circuit will now have a slightly higher voltage. If 3 or more bulbs in a circuit short out, the voltage can start getting too high and burn out more bulbs faster and faster. You are SUPPOSED to look at your strands DAILY when lit and replace a burnt out (shunted) bulb before another one blows. The chances of two bulbs in a circuit being blown at the same time is low if you catch it quickly. So, if you "nip it in the bud" and replace the first one that blows out before another one does, your other bulbs will last longer. The instructions NEVER mention this, and who saves the light boxes? When you remove a bulb, there is a socket on the top of that type of tester to test a bulb. You just plug the bulb into it and a light on the tester may or may not come on. If the bulb lights, it is good. If the bulb does not light, but the light on the tester (a LED) lights up, the bulb is burnt out and shunted (to keep others lit). If the bulb does not light AND the light on the tester is off, the bulb is burnt out, BUT, the wire did not shunt (and why the rest went out). In this case you pull the trigger and 90V is sent to the bulb and that should have enough current to make the wire fuse. The idea is: If you don't have a spare bulb, you might be able to at least get a burned out bulb into "short" mode so you can put in back in the circuit to get the lights back on. But it is best to replace a bad bulb and not try this "band-aid" approach.

[@dock_yard1149]

The gun testers are great tools for reviving half/quarter dead strings of incandescent lites. And you’re 100% correct about more than 2-3 bulbs out in a segment - it causes too much voltage to go thru good bulbs in the same segment, shortening their lives by A LOT.

[@stevebabiak6997]

“Shunt” is the term used for the bit that becomes a short.

[@paulromsky9527]

@stevebabiak6997 Yes, Shunt, short... thanks.

[@isingbass]

Indeed, he missed the main function of the LightKeeper. Activating the lazy shunt makes it immediately apparent which lamps are burned out and need replaced. Lifesaver each year when I pull out my pre-lit tree at the beginning of the season.

[@jessieenriquez8309]

Finally a video to help me understand how these tools work and how to properly use them! Very clear and practical. On my way to invest in both tools since I have both kinds of lights (incandescent and LED) out of desperation lol Thank you!

[@unlisted773]

Greatest video on the entire internet! You, sir, are national treasure.

[@MrGattor33]

Awesome video!! I go over about 600 light strands for my fiancé and I can say that that light keeper pro thing works great but you've it even better so as to not have to do it bulb by bulb. And yes I also use that Klein multi range non contact pen. Thank you for doing this video!!

[@mitchmontoya7193]

This is so awesome. I wish I knew this 2 years ago. I've thrown out so many strings. THANK YOU

[@jgill]

I was wrong, I admit! I was certain the title was click-bait, but I learned something I hadn't known before. Absolutely adding a non-contact voltage detector to my wish list this year! Thank you for all the time outside in the cold weather you saved me by making this video.

[@tchevrier]

a couple of important points with incandescent mini lights. - Make sure you get the correct bulb. Mini lights come in many different ratings. 2.5v, 3v, 3.5v, 5v, 6v, 10v, 12v etc. They also come in super bright and energy saver varieties, but they almost never indicate that. Most packages of replacement bulbs are energy saver. Most prewired strings are superbright. If you plug an energy saver bulb into a string with superbright bulbs, you will instantly blow that bulb. If you do the reverse (superbright bulb into an energy saver string), the superbright bulb will appear very dim. - also be aware that mini lights are designed so that if they fail the entire string of lights will not go out. Yes, despite what was shown in the video, those light bulbs are designed with a small internal shunt so that if the bulb burns out, it will keep the entire string still lit. HOWEVER, I have found that the shunt in newer bulbs doesn't always activate, hence the reason why one bulbs takes out the string. That's what that red mini light tester does. If you plug that into any socket and press the trigger it will cause that shunt to activate and show you which bulb is out. - When a mini light burns out, and the shunt activates, it essentially transfers all that power to the other bulbs in the string, putting more stress on them and causing them to fail prematurely. Therefore if you see a burned out bulb, replace it immediately otherwise you can get a cascade failure in which half the bulbs might be burned out.

[@stevebabiak6997]

Excellent advice. I was going to post something similar, but you did cover it well. I would add that the most affordable way to get replacement bulbs for the 2.5V and 3.5V strings is to buy an extra string or few from which replacement bulbs will be taken. 2.5V bulbs will be found in sets that are multiples of fifty (so 50, 100, 150, 200, etc.) so you’ll get 50 spare bulbs (or a multiple thereof), and the bulb type will be a match too. 3.5V bulbs will be found in sets that are multiples of thirty-five (so 35, 70, 105, 140, 175, etc.). The number of bulbs in the string also is a clue to the bulb voltage you have. With 2.5V and 3.5V strings, there could be multiple circuits so best to look at the numbers I gave above to make that determination. For other voltages, I have found that there usually aren’t multiple circuits involved, so dividing 120V by the number of bulbs should give the approximate bulb voltage. Once you get to the 6V bulbs, there will be only 20 bulbs (or a multiple thereof) in the string and buying an extra set might be more costly to get replacement bulbs - but packaged replacement bulbs might be harder to find as well, so buying an extra set might be the most reliable way to get spares. Higher voltages have even fewer bulbs in the set, and getting spares might be like what I described for the 6V bulbs.

[@binnsbrian]

Do LED bulbs come in different voltages?

[@tchevrier]

@@stevebabiak6997 exactly.

[@tchevrier]

@@binnsbrian Yes, sort of. LEDs have a property called "forward bias voltage". This is the required voltage to turn on the LED. This voltage varies depending upon the colour of the bulb. For example a red LED has a forward voltage of about 1.7v. A blue is about 3.2v. White is about 3.2v - 3.5v. etc. None of this is identified on the bulb or the packaging. It is only available if you buy the raw LED itself. I would strongly recommend that when replacing LED Christmas bulbs, that you replace with the same colour. The reason being is that if you don't you can risk blowing the entire string.

[@binnsbrian]

@@tchevrier Thank you for taking the time to reply to my question. I will take your advice into account when changing bulbs.

[@stratsurvivor]

Much appreciated!!! This will really help when we get a light out mid season.. repair in place instead of replace the string. Thank you for the tutorial. ⚡

[@civwar64bob77]

Very nice! Thank you. BTW, searching by always halving is a nice variation of a binary search algorithm (which I learned in computer programming classes way back in the 1970s).

[@gailmccarthy5621]

OMG !!!! Merry Christmas 🎄 This is So Helpful!!! I’m Now Confident to deal with the cord of lights when have of it goes out and save some time and money!!

[@AlvarezGuillermo-m4t]

Hello 👋 pretty lady how are you doing today and the weather condition like?

[@gailmccarthy5621]

@@AlvarezGuillermo-m4t it’s 31 and snowing ! Stay warm & safe! Merry Christmas 🎄

[@AlvarezGuillermo-m4t]

@ merry Christmas to you Cathy. I’m from Michigan USA and you?

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You are very welcome! Really glad to hear you found the video to be so helpful. I have had to use this myself this year more often than normal and it truly has saved me so much time. Thank you very much for the feedback! Merry Christmas to you too!

[@scorpio6587]

Wow! You just saved me a ton of time, money, and frustration. Thank you. I never thought of this.

[@amandac6140]

You are a life saver! So genius! Now i can fix ALL my string lights I have saved over the years. Thank you,

[@BrilliantDesignOnline]

Yup, I have a pile of them downstairs too. But I go LED for new stands only.

[@christinecowen7677]

Wow! For a non-electrician like me…LoL you blew my mind! Super easy way to find out which bulb…and guess what…we have a line out on our lights right now haha! Guess I’m buying one of those meter things! Thanks so much for sharing and the easy explanation!

[@vikingdane9757]

Great video that I am looking forward to implementing! Although obvious to some, it might also be worth showing where the fuses are in the plug that a lot of people are not aware of. Thanks for a very thorough lesson.

[@robertherbish2428]

I think my brain is on overload.

[@rupe53]

20+ years ago I stumbled on a sale the day after Xmas where boxes of lights were 99 cents each. I bought a dozen. Still have a few that are new in the box. I think it was only last year that I used up all the spare bulbs that come with a set so started to save ones from sets that were otherwise damaged. Been using a similar Fluke tool to do testing for near 20 years as well. Just go down the string to check at the bulb till there's no power, then go back one and test both wires to confirm. Much simpler / quicker than this video.

[@EricSchwartz-sk8id]

Extremely helpful and of course the simple, logical solution to the bad bulb conundrum is the best. As always, you continue to put out the best DIY videos. Thanks again!

[@Morgan2XL]

Sometimes it is just the corrosion in the bulb connector base that reduces the voltage below testable voltage level there is actually a reduction in voltage across each LED in a segment until there isnt a measurable drop for the Klein instrument. At that point pull all bulbs and burnish all connections or concede the string has reached EOL. Only way to figure this out is with a multimeter insulated gloves and bench. A multimeter set on resistance can make a good Led glow but not light. Polarity can matter when using DC to test LE DIODE bulbs.

[@lancelot1953]

Brilliant technique - I appreciate it. I do miss the old incandescent bulbs that were obviously easily visually spotted when one was out but your technique is life (I mean time) saving, thank you, and Happy Holidays, Ciao, L

[@nathanveldman1232]

Buddy, you saved me a whole day!

[@StuartGilbert]

Software developers will be appreciating the binary search portion of this video. :-)

[@chlewis123]

…exactly! The maximum number of searches to narrow it down would be log2(#of bulbs).

[@MaidenHell1977]

I stumbled upon this video just right now as I am racking my brain trying to fix like 7 strands of LED Christmas lights some with 100 bulbs. Thanks so much for the great advice but I found that if I wasn't getting a RED LED on the Klein NCVT, I would just replace bulb anyhow, even if it was tripping the blue strobing LED in 12V mode. Cheers dude and thanks for your help!!

[@markclifford6623]

Thank you so much! For explaining and showing how Christmas lights work and how to fix them. This is absolutely the best video I've ever seen. You explain it very thoroughly on how and why they don't work. And how to fix it? Thank you! Happy holidays

[@genghisbunny]

Very smart, I never thought of using my NCVT for fairy lights before.

[@gnic76]

I didn't know about flipping the socket around to help trace out a string, good to know. A couple additional notes, 1: Check to see if the LED bulb is even replaceable, on some newer type strings they are not. 2: Some strings have a very tiny fuse in them that blows.

[@stevebabiak6997]

That fuse will be in the plug, so none of the bulbs on such a string will light up.

[@kiraani06]

2nd Christmas in a house, this has happened to some of my lights already. Thanks for the useful info.

[@CheatDayKerry]

Really good info. Never understood that before.

[@TangoDelta8111]

I still don’t. Ask me in a week and I’ll get it wrong.😂

[@chloecarrera2136]

This is so cool! Great tip! Can’t wait to try it. Way less waste this way too.

[@chatanugadotorg]

With my old tree that I used to have, I had strings of the incandescent bulbs and used one of those Light Keeper Pros. It worked for finding bad bulbs, but with each year, I was having to replace more and more bulbs. The last year that I attempted to string lights on my old tree, I would get a string of lights working, get them on the tree, and while troubleshooting the next string, a section of lights that I'd already fixed would go out again. I just decided to get a new tree (was already about 18 years old) and gave up on stringing lights, getting a bigger pre-lit LED tree, which worked out better since the old tree wasn't supporting some of the heavier ornaments that I had.

[@stevebabiak6997]

The bulb filaments weaken from being energized, to the point where vibration can cause the filament to break. If it just happens to a single bulb, the shunt will get zapped (it will see the full 120V briefly) and impose a short across the broken filament such that the string remains lit. When multiple filaments break at the same time, the voltage needed to activate the shunt isn’t presented to the shunt, so the string is unlit.

[@tchevrier]

The issue with mini incandescent lights is that they distribute the 120v equally across all the bulbs. For example a string of 50 lights has 2.5v across each bulb. If one bulb blows, that 2.5v is then distributed to the other bulbs. More voltage causes the bulbs to burn a little brighter and burn out a little quicker. If another one burns out, then that puts more stress on the other bulbs etc etc etc. This continues until you have most of the bulbs burn out at the same time. The best thing to do is replace any burned out bulb as soon as you see it. Otherwise you get to a situation where it is best to just replace all the bulbs.

[@stevebabiak6997]

@@tchevrier - nothing incorrect in what you posted, but the filaments do weaken with being illuminated. If you examine some clear bulbs that are still operational and that have been in use for a while, you will see a darkish tint to the glass cover - that comes from the filament.

[@tchevrier]

@@stevebabiak6997 Oh I don't disagree with that. That's the basic property of incandescent bulbs. As you use them the filament burns up. They only have a finite lifespan. The more you use them the faster they burn up. If you supply a higher voltage to them, they burn up considerably faster because they are essentially glowing hotter. Which is what happens when one bulb in a string burns out. On the flip side, I like to add 5 extra bulbs to my light strings because that drops the voltage across each bulb and makes them last considerably longer.

[@stevebabiak6997]

@ - or just put fifty 3.5V superbrite bulbs in a 2.5V string ;)

[@clairestaffieri4398]

You are a wicked smart guy ! ! Thanks

[@AlvarezGuillermo-m4t]

Hello 👋 pretty lady how are you doing today and the weather condition like?

[@CNKayutube]

Divide and conquer , nice video

[@eltiburon027]

Brilliant... you, sir, have just saved sanity... THANK YOU...!!!

[@jwestney2859]

This is obvious... now that you 'splained it to me. But I never would've thought of this on my own. A GREAT VIDEO! 🙂🙂

[@markg1490]

Excellent video! Thanks for sharing! It will make putting up lights so much better

[@mercenaryconstruction1628]

Good video. A little more information than I needed, but I'm pretty well versed in this sort of thing. I still got some good information and someone less knowledgeable would find it even more useful.

[@EdwardTunilla-zn2ch]

I've been repairing lights for years. I always liked to fix them. I use a product called Light Keeper Pro. I once used a taster with a 9-volt battery.

[@sooskavee9680]

Where have you been all my life?! This is a fabulous video! Thanks!

[@helenpeddycord2241]

Holy Biscuits! This will save my hair from being pulled out this year! THANK YOU🌲♥️

[@heyjebbo]

Thanks!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You bet!

[@davidbryanwoodworksandmore]

Boy what a great video. I have icicle lights and garland lights that have a bad section. I have to Check them this way. Thank you so much.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You’re very welcome! Glad I was able to help! Thank you for the feedback!

[@chrisforker7487]

Now if someone could figure something out for net lights! Great video, I learned quite a bit!

[@stevebabiak6997]

I don’t have net lights but I do have icicle lights, and the same concepts are present. I imagine if you closely examine the net lights you will find they have similar wiring, but just not in as straight of a line.

[@roadrageburleson]

OMG. Why the hell did I never think of this. What a great tip. Thanks for this video.

[@TheTiffanyAching]

Practical application of binary search. Thanks!

[@garymucher4082]

Interesting and informative video. Thanks for posting it and explaining how and why the strings are wired. Actually both parallel AND series circuits are used... Thumbs Up!

[@tlalok08]

Thank you! One of my strings is half out and i needed a refresher!

[@IndependentDL]

Great video! I can’t wait to use these tips when putting up my lights this weekend.

[@wileypeacock6095]

Now do a pre lit tree 😂

[@PeekaBoo07ToYou]

This right here!!

[@robertmendlein1090]

You had me laughing at the reality of your method; NO imbibing before checking! I would be counting my fingers and toes... Great job.

[@paulromsky9527]

At 7:12 that is called the "divide and conquer" technique. I put tiny pieces of masking tape on the bulbs to mark the ends that I am working between. Don't wrap the tape around the bulb, just on one side of the bulb. And yes, start at one end of the strand and put the tester at the base between the two wires (a lot faster to check - less fiddling), if no power, go back one bulb and test both wires on it - one of those two bulbs is bad. Don't forget to flip the plug polarity when going from one circuit to the next in the strand. It is VERY important to make sure the Hot (not Neutral) signal is on the socket and not the return wire. Fail to do that and you will get very frustrated and confused. That is the trick!

[@nelhead4807]

Just had a set of my lights do this so thanks for the helpful advice.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

No problem! I had half of one go out on a tree last night, got it fixed in no time!

[@ek8137]

Great video! We keep a random strand of the same lights to harvest bulbs from. Poor thing is getting sparse

[@elmerotrompas3889]

I have that same voltage tester. Save me a ton of time. Here is your like! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@usmc88fan]

Wish I would have seen this a couple weeks ago! Thank you!!!!

[@bobblum5973]

Good video, a few suggestions: - Show a diagram of the wiring string, you can use arrows or color codes to show the current paths through the different sections of the light string. Easier to follow than the wires in your hands. 🙂 - Point out the fact that there are two voltages of incandescent lamps, 2.5-volt and 3.5-volt, used for different length segments. A 50 light string uses 2.5-volt lamps (2.5v x 50 = 125 volts) and a 35 light string uses 3.5-volt ones (3.5v x 35 = 122.5 volts). - There are light strings that have shorting sockets (pull the bulb, string stays lit), lamps that short when they burn out, or both. When the shorting bulbs burn out they typically keep the string lit up, but the voltage across each working bulb goes up, reducing their lifespan. I recently fought a section of a pre-wired tree that had that last type. It turned out one lamp burned out but still had enough resistance that the string wouldn't light up at all. So although I had the non-contact tool the wiring couldn't be spread out to find the bulb causing the problem.

[@studioadmin5792]

The mystery is finally solved!!! ❤

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Finally! 🙂

[@AskingSpot]

Arrrg, where was this video a week ago when I was buying a new strand because I didn’t want to go one by one 😆Great video, thanks!

[@fernandosalinas7229]

Thanks man to share all your knowledge and experience!

[@keja350]

I can't tell how many strands I've thrown out over the years because half of a strand was dead. Would this work if the whole strand was out? Awesome video!

[@RandyBeers]

So, I've picked up the 50-1,000 V Klein tool and some replacement bulbs. I tested and found three bulbs failing and replaced them. As soon as i power up after replacing, the string flickers on, then goes out again. Any thoughts? After messing with it quite a bit tonight, I think it's a short. The display is a Merry Christmas sign, made of heavy wire, like coat hanger wire, covered with some kind of mesh and sprayed with a metallic glitter. I think the lights are probably shorting out somewhere between the cord and the metal of the sign. I'll test more, and get back to you if I get it fixed. At this point, I'm sure your method works, and I just have a deeper wiring issue. Thanks for a great tutorial video!

[@jayjudd6518]

Good show , I learned from this. 😊😊

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Glad you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback!

[@cpfb68]

Awesome vid and perfect topic! I never thought to us a tester on my light strings. I’m not very bright. Thanks for the great vid breaking out the incandescent and LEDs. Thanks!

[@paulromsky9527]

Two years ago we went all LED. My wife and I love them.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Yeah I think they are way nicer!

[@suzil7687]

You. Are. My. HERO!

[@andypritchard9786]

Same trick works on pre-lit xmas trees. Saves a ton of time and headache.

[@Kev7274]

Informative and a real time saver. Thanks

[@CofFDnSnaps]

You made this super simple.

[@anonymuswere]

about damn time I find a vid on something like this. I've had a tone of spares and strings, including C types, for years. good thing I have that tool already.

[@Sick6Six]

Awesome video. You just saved Christmas!

[@jamesz9139]

GREAT video--and timely. The LED tester that comes as part of a kit works great; but you have to "bite" into the wires to get a reading. Which, over time, depletes the insulation. I'm amazed (in a bad way) at how frequently the "long-lasting" LEDs croak. Like you, I often notice a busted connector. I also find that the connections rust easily. Not good for lights that are supposed to be good for outdoors. Time to add a non-contact voltage detector to my arsenal.

[@tchevrier]

If you think about it for a moment, those LED lights strings in which you can replace the LED are, not water tight. That's why the leads corrode. You can pay a little bit more for sealed light strings.

[@boomergames8094]

IME, the LED ones are more likely to go bad sooner than the older non LED ones. And, the LED ones often have a strobe effect of 60Hz and can be very annoying.

[@sharper07]

Dude! You are good. Big thanks for this video.

[@hillvolfan]

Thank you for this !!!

[@michaelreyes8670]

Thanks for posting this. Time saver it is. You got a like and a subscription.

[@cindypenwell772]

Thank you. Verrrrry helpful🎉

[@jeremiahwilliamson1733]

AWESOME VID!!! Very informative!!! Gonna save me hours! THANKS!

[@robertatkinson6864]

The leads on LED bulbs are prone to corrosion so that's why they often appear missing. It's just a steel wire with a very thin tin plating. They will literally rust away, especially when used outdoors. The "Holiday Time" branded LED light strings from Walmart are especially prone to this and I've had to fixed them every year since I bought them, 4 years ago.

[@maryjoegrant3540]

Excellent video

[@AlvarezGuillermo-m4t]

Hello 👋 pretty lady how are you doing today and the weather condition like?

[@scottstgermaine2358]

Wow made this so simple I would assume it’s the same process for a lighted tree?

[@dsimp765]

We used call that split half troubleshooting, or divide and conquer. Thank you 👍

[@ericsmith5683]

Awesome! I’ll give this a shot.

[@MikeWeese-ej9ty]

You saved my hairline,no more pulling my hair out trying to find the one bad bulb.thank you so much.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Glad you found it helpful, and that your hairline is still intact! 🤣 Thanks for the feedback Mike!

[@bcstlmo]

Too late for me! 😢

[@Apop44]

Excellent video! Thanks.