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).

[@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 🙏🏽👍🏼

[@CynVee]

I didnt understand half of what you said but I think you taught me enough that I can do this. My husband is going to be so impressed. Thank you.

[@brief402]

Holy crap. How have I never known this after being my family's light ulb tester/changer for over 20y? You sir, are one of my new favorite people

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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~!

[@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!

[@jmacindc]

this woman too.

[@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!

[@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!

[@DvjLuna]

Brilliant video!! Just fixed one of my string of lights that was giving me a problem that I just recently bought and it turns out that your method worked flawlessly I'm finding the bad bulb. String of lights are working perfectly now. Thank you so very much!

[@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

[@jmacindc]

these are actually designed so well. most of europe has fuses in the plugs (like christmas lights) which drastically cuts down on in-wall fires :)

[@joannep9469]

"Special place in purgatory" lol Love it! Pray for their souls :) Oremus!

[@sabingratz]

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

[@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!

[@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 🤪

[@SuperManning11]

I can remember the strings of light spread out across the living room carpet while we replaced the bad bulbs. We had to plug each line in to test them, and if I wasn’t very careful to unplug the lights immediately, those bulbs were so hot that they would begin to melt into the carpet beneath them! Times have certainly changed ! Happy New Year ! 2025!

[@unlisted773]

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

[@wdking8833]

Oh, thank you!! I was gifted TWENTY strands of Christmas lights last year, most of which have at least one bad bulb. I want them for my yard. Obviously the person who gave them to me bought new strands rather than deal with the headache. However, I have only fixed two because finding a bad bulb the hard way quickly makes me crazy. So not this Christmas but next I will have them working thanks to this video. You explained it all so beautifully.

[@brief402]

Make a point to do one or 2 strands a month until then, and by Christmas you won't have to do ANY OF THEM!

[@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

[@JodyHarris-j8p]

I hear you I lost my mine hubby at age 46. Lost all our former friends & both sides of the families ceased having anything to do with my teenage boys & I. Don't have a clue why but I'm not chasing anyone who wasn't there when we needed them most. So instead I try struggling with the honey-do list on my own as a single lady. Thank goodness for you tube.

[@marilynking6535]

@@JodyHarris-j8p Bless you my Dear ♥️✝️🙏 I understand Totally, wasn't for 2 precious cousins, That I know God place me in their care, I live in sticks ,or swamp, NO Neighbors, way off the beaten path, each Day I talk to God, just me & Him now, My PRAYERS Dear ONE, God Bless you 🙌🏻🫶🤲🌻🥀💐

[@Jtsct-l7t]

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

[@Grunderwear]

Great video! Really good job of explaining what you are doing, but at the same time not drawing it out any longer than necessary. Just a good thorough explanation. This approach is so much better than what I've been doing for the past 40 years!

[@mitchmontoya7193]

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

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@SleepingFoxFarmLLC]

This.Right.Here! 💡I have spent countless hours checking each bulb... or just throwing strands out. 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.

[@starbittrune]

I have a 12 ft. pre-lit tree with 2400 incandescent bulbs that I've kept working for years with a Lightkeeper Pro. But this year, one stubborn loop would not light. I bought the Klein voltage detector you recommended and boom! - Found the problem, a contact was knocked out of place in one socket, probably when I replaced a bulb. Thank you for the great troubleshooting lesson!

[@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.

[@patrickkeefe9418]

Several viewed over the years. Best yet. Thank you for your clarity and effort.

[@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. ⚡

[@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!!

[@rickdebacker100]

I'm 59 years old and this is an amazing learning experience!

[@scorpio6587]

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

[@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!

[@heyjebbo]

Thanks!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You bet!

[@madstrad123]

Good video thanks I now have 3 options. 1. your method 2. Led keeper pro 3. Go to Home depot after Christmas. I have found lights that before Christmas cost $29.95 marked down to $7.50. Also I will string my lights from wall to wall in my garage. Makes it much easier to test the string.

[@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.

[@omgimbaaa]

Hi! I have exactly the problem where a part of a string is dim. Unfortunately I can't find anything about this. Is there an easy fix for this or should I replace the entire string? Thanks!

[@tchevrier]

@@omgimbaaa this is the difficult part. LED's will go dim for a couple of reasons. They are either failing or one or two have failed completely are limiting the current to the rest, or a combination. A non contact voltage tester is not going to be much help. If there are some that are completely off, then try replacing those ones. Otherwise it gets a little tedious after that point.

[@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

[@CheatDayKerry]

Really good info. Never understood that before.

[@TangoDelta8111]

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

[@genghisbunny]

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

[@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!!

[@gailmccarthy5621]

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

[@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!

[@TheTiffanyAching]

Practical application of binary search. Thanks!

[@markg1490]

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

[@clairestaffieri4398]

You are a wicked smart guy ! ! Thanks

[@eugenelove874]

Thanks man ❤ !!! Had half of my C9 lights go out. I remembered what you said about the wire being missing. Yes it was the little wire 😊😊😊

[@Sick6Six]

Awesome video. You just saved Christmas!

[@brendansgames6955]

This is a super great straight forward method to fixing Christmas lights. I have never seem this method. Thanks!

[@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.

[@eltiburon027]

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

[@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!

[@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).

[@JR-zw2vb]

Thank you so much for this! Best Christmas light fix tutorial on the YT! Liked and subscribed.

[@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

[@jeffflowers729]

Heres my trick. I bought one of those testers years ago. Now I buy 4 boxes of new lights the day after christmas for $10 and I always have a working set next year :)

[@chloecarrera2136]

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

[@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.

[@DannySettle-yi2ef]

I Concur and Bless you 👌 Congratulations 😊

[@DuaneLeidy]

Thank you for the video. Although my lights are already on the tree it still only took me about 5 minutes to find the bad bulb and replace it.

[@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!!

[@kiraani06]

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

[@michaelreyes8670]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@IndependentDL]

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

[@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!

[@SparklyPixieDust1]

Wow. This was really interesting. I had no clue. 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! 🙂🙂

[@robertherbish2428]

I think my brain is on overload.

[@paulanuss6716]

Lol..omg for real

[@patrickmangin5610]

Great video, brother!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

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

[@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.

[@fernandosalinas7229]

Thanks man to share all your knowledge and experience!

[@houghchrst1]

If I could send you pictures I would LOLOL. I have a smallish box of working lights and a ginormous bin of lights I have been collecting for decades, telling myself that I would go through them next year, scavenging bulbs here and there to fix another, baggies of bulbs of which I am pretty sure most are burnt out, many many different kinds of bulb fittings to go with the different strings. I was sitting in my basement doing my yearly chore of going through lights to get enough to work. Bulb by bulb. Very discouraging, I had not even gotten an entire string to work yet when it occurred to me that somebody on YT has to have a solution. That is how I found you. I was so annoyed that I did not know about this but ecstatic that I now found a fix. I have restored over 20 strings of light. Some of my favorites. One I had since I was a kid, with clear little flower petals that fit over the bulb. I am stuck on a string right now that doesn't make sense. Two wires only, it says one way all lights work until halfway through then it is every other light, then when I switch the plug around every light works going back up then halfway through it is every other light back to the plug. I've gone backwards and forwards. So I am kind of stuck there but I am thrilled that I have enough lights to decorate the entire house and I think I still have 2 or 3 strings to go through. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

[@Pb123456100]

Thanks! Great explanation on circuits. I didn’t know that!

[@sooskavee9680]

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

[@nathanveldman1232]

Buddy, you saved me a whole day!

[@helenpeddycord2241]

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

[@greyspot00]

Thank you so much! This helped so much!

[@surfrby8876]

This was a great video , great demo , I learned a lot but I’ll just go out and buy another set , they’re cheap , subscribed

[@DannySettle-yi2ef]

Respect and Love ❤️ Thank's and Bless you 👌 Congratulations ❤️ Beautiful 😂

[@hollyschmadl3186]

Oh my gosh! Thankyou so much for putting this video out. I have bags of lights that have that problem and ya it is so frustrating trying to find which one is dead I'll just have to purchase a voltage reader . A very merry Christmas to you sir.😊 from Vancouver B.C Canada 🇨🇦

[@Kev7274]

Informative and a real time saver. Thanks

[@JPGuay]

Thank you ! Made my 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).

[@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!

[@user-ye9og7rr5k]

thanks for the demo!

[@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!

[@usmc88fan]

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

[@billhandymanbill2775]

Great step-by-step video.....Thanks so much!

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@CNKayutube]

Divide and conquer , nice video

[@elmerotrompas3889]

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

[@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.

[@jeremiahwilliamson1733]

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

[@tlalok08]

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

[@Eddy63]

Nice demo & nice products ... Thx

[@keithstandiford3761]

Nice tip! Let's here it for binary search! (Computer Science term, the most efficient search with a sorted list. -- See! you knew more about computers than you thought!)