While Thanksgiving is generally considered the official start of the holiday season, Halloween is as good an excuse as any to bring your LED Christmas lights out of storage. Before you add some cheer to the yearly festivities, make sure to find, fix, and replace any broken or burned-out bulbs.
Find a burned-out LED Christmas light by using a tester tool or a voltage detector to identify the defective bulb. A burned-out LED bulb is disconnected from the circuit created by the string of lightbulbs and can no longer conduct the electrical current.
Finding the faulty length of wire or broken bulb is simply the first step. Learn how to replace or fix your LED Christmas lights, and how to store them to avoid further outages until you need them again.
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How Do you Tell Which LED Christmas Light is Burned Out?
You can tell which LED Christmas light is burned out by following these simple steps:
- Carefully inspect each string of light, making sure each bulb is screwed into its socket correctly.
- Ensure the wiring is not damaged or frayed.
- Plug the string of lights into a wall socket.
- Make a note of each unlit bulb.
- Use a light tester to confirm that an electrical current does not pass through the unlit light bulbs.
- Unplug the string of lights and replace each faulty light bulb with a spare one.
If there are more faulty bulbs then functional ones, consider replacing the entire string of lights.
You can use the remaining working bulbs of the old light string as spare bulbs, as long as the bulbs have identical wattages.
Why Do My LED Christmas Lights Keep Burning Out?
Your LED Christmas lights may keep burning out for the following reasons:
- Poorly manufactured LED lights can lead to frayed wires, loose bulbs, or loose plug connections
- You may have connected too many LED light strings to each other to create a longer strand
- You may have connected LED light strings of differing wattages
- The LED lights are not equipped to handle the voltage coursing through them
- You may have used indoor LED lights that are not weather-proof to decorate the outside of your home
- You may have installed the LED Christmas light incorrectly.
Your LED Christmas lights may also have been damaged during storage if they were not sealed and protected carefully.
Storing LED Christmas Lights
If you no longer have the original packaging, you will need just a few everyday items to store your LED Christmas lights safely:
- Some strips of cardboard or empty paper towel tubes
- Tissue paper
- Resealable plastic bags or boxes
Keep your LED lights tangle-free in three easy steps:
- Starting with the ‘female’ end of a light string, wrap the lights around an eleven in (30 cm) strip of cardboard or an empty paper towel tube.
- Make sure the ‘male’ end of the string is loose for easy access so you can test the lights without unspooling the string completely.
- Wrap the strip or tube of lights in tissue paper and place them in resealable plastic bags or boxes.
Final Thoughts
While LED Christmas lights are an effective way to add a fun touch to your holiday decor or create an impressive festive display, installing and maintaining them may require the help of experienced professionals, like from the team at Certified Lights.
You’ll find a range of high-quality, professional installation kits as well as training and support to ensure a beautiful LED display to impress your family and friends throughout the festive season.