\u00a9 2021 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Holly girl celebrate, half a string is better than no string, cutting the 'broken half' off makes sense - as long as the good half still works afterwards. That wiring sounds screwy....good luck, 12/08/2010 by Repairing these lights won't be easy, but with a little determination and know-how, it can be done. So fro not working i got to work but it only works have way. The four wire/three wire thing is because every 4-wired-together pair of sockets is in parallel with itself and in series with every other pair of 4-wire-connected sockets (called a 2-parallel, 25-series arrangement), so that if one lamp falls out, the string continues to light, but with the remaining lamp of the affected pair being a bit brighter now. Inspecting it closer, I found it was half a string, precisely. Loadster, Roddy, Harvey, et al, and Danny. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. I, for one will not buy Noma lights again. If you try to cut out the fusible links or even replace them with a more serviceable unit, you need to understand something about LED's as opposed to incandescent lights. Checked the 2 fuses on the inside of my plug removed one and Bingo, half the string out. Christmas lights have a small fuse box close to the plug end and are usually one in the same thing. I then ran an extension cord, disconnected string 3 from string 2, and plugged string 3 into the extension cord. (Well, mostly anyway...). pollytintop. I removed one LED at a time, starting at the plug end. @oldturkey03. Like I do every year, I got work with my Light Keeper Pro.If you have a pre-lit tree and don’t have a Light Keeper Pro, you should get one now.It has saved so many lights over the years. On most of my strings the covers are hard to pop off. It is true these LED strings aren't as perfect as we'd been led to believe, but many of the issues can be resolved. If a string of lights fails to work, the fuse may be bad. This will make the lights unnoticeably dimmer. I wish now that I had just scoured the thrift shops and stuck with old incandescents. Although the string and most of the lights will last forever, the failure of a small component renders the entire string (or large sections of strings) to the garbage. Merry Christmas to all, and to all some GOOD lights ! You may have to do this with every last lamp in the bad section! Proffessional christmas light installers use LED retrofit bulbs where the LED itself is shaped kinda like an old school incandescent with the same "screw in" at the bottom. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This does not make sense to me. Definitely have more longevity than the "nutty" looking ones BUT they are at the front of the house where maybe the squirrels are not as interested in them? Merry Christmas!! This is not unusual in itself- many types of Christmas light strings have rectifier diodes to reduce flicker, and they're used in some LED rope lights as well. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Merry Christmas to y'all from sunny Newport Beach, Balboa Peninsula, California. Also problem is still not solved the lights have not gone on I am most certain that we’ve gotten a defective box, 01/12/2019 by 3). Oh and we only managed to get one set working, hung them outside and AGAIN half the set went out. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This should not at all be this difficult to repair something that you buy brand new. Mini light testers do not work on LED trees. Here is what I did. This will be costly on a bulb-by-bulb basis, but should solve a basic problem that is driving us all crazy. I hade the same problem on a set of GE led lights. Multiple references out there, and surely a PITA if the string does not work.Of course here is even a reference to the fuses in the LCD string. There should be voltage detected at the live wire going into the first light. Except I started at the plug-end and it was third from last at the opposite end. I did like most of you did. Don't hold your breath waiting for that. Most of them have a little tab in the plug that you pop open and you should find 2 small fuses in there. Well, here we all are here again . Step 2 If a short or a break occurs in any of the light strands, one or both of the fusible links will blow, are sealed for life, and are not serviceable. @piccinich20. And to do it right the cost will be prohibitive, unless some big changes are made. So much for 'LED's save money' ! oldturkey03. They are 'Commercial quality' lights and wiring , and even have C-7 and C-9 'screw in base' bulb replacements for those smart enough to have KEPT their old incandescent light strings ! Finally the anode lead is typically connected to less hardware inside the colored plastic if its visible. what can i do to fix it. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. Fixed about 70% of my box o' 1/2 - not-working strings of lights. LED light strings feature one piece construction, which can make troubleshooting limited. I started down this path because I have a no-name LED set with 50 lights and they all checked good with legacy light tester. Still haven't figured out the problem with a middle section yet.using a voltage detector to find a pattern. Alternating Current (your house current) fluctuates or oscillates 60 times a second.. hence "60 hz". Any other color will not work well. They are steel and are not as flexible as brass or bronze leads that are common on the older mini-bulbs. If you get one half to light its not the fuse as one fuse is for both halves. I hope this answer is helpful to someone. I encountered the age-old problem of half the strand not working. The second set of 3 connectors are between the middle and top section. I bought a two-prong outdoor extension cord to run between the shrubs. Consider buying a combination model that includes a tester and repair tool. These lights came from Holiday Time LED mini light set (50 COUNT) purchased from Walmart. The best part is that I was able to live up to the expectation of my 7-year-old granddaughter who was observing the process. If good insert in socket and then the light set. I knew I wasn’t going to get every light working on … We may be talking Apples n Oranges here. Two fuses are in the plug going to the outlet. So yes, one or more bad bulbs is an open but may not be a true open like a popped filament in an incandescent bulb. Everything looks good. half of my string of lights was not working. But what a dog's breakfast!! Going to escalate this to the media because of this is a potential problem then They should have a disclaimer on the product How stupid of me to think they would be this reliable and stand behind their product. . Even managed to cut out and reconnect some chewed up sections of wires by carefully separating and re-splicing individual wires ! Steve Griffin, Steve , FYI , you can get screw in LED's in sizes C7 and C9 from. Sat down in now warm garage, and 'had at it' ! Just wanted to let you know. 02/11/2011 by NO 'Box' stores . Give me back the old ‘2-wire’ incandescent’s, those worked for decades , if ONE went out, you replaced that light , not the whole string ! ', Are you using the same outlet whenever you have the half-side failure? 12/02/2015 by Non-matching bulbs are far more likely to fail and, in very rare cases, may present a fire hazard if they short. If the lights worked fine in a different outlet, check the outlet first. Solid connected lights that can't be removed and the ones with two wires that can be replaced. Then, I plugged it in to the wall socket. As Canadian tire does not have inventory at this time of year, they have given me a Purchase card to use when they bring in their fall inventory. Depending on your tester model, it may beep or light up when you find a bad bulb. An LED probably designed for 5 reverse volts could easily see 50 or even more this way! wire to complete the circuit so try to find the proper diameter extension wire or place a few wavy bends in it to insure contact. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Makes me wonder how many 'good finds' there are to be had at the little thrift store down the road! Expensive but inedible for a squirrel and replaceable. 'Recycling' be damned, 'repurposing' as targets is more fun ! Anyone from Canada on this discussion? By the third week half of them did not work. Where there are enough LEDs in a section (about 25 or 30 seems to be plenty) they are usually not provided with any protective electronics for each LED other than the current limiting resistors in my experience. don't buy NOMA. These were used outside for two Christmas seasons. Unplug and flip plug 180 and replug and the other half comes on -- and the half that did work now does not. Those 'bulbs' are REALLY THICK (had to use my VISE to break them open) ! I expected it to last 8-10 years. That will prevent further corrosion. Both the male and female power connectors are largeish and rectangular, with a screw showing in one side that looks like it has been sealed with Loctite or similar. It should act as a voltage detector, bulb tester, bulb remover, and shunt repairer. Anyway, I did manage to get some lights working with the Light Keeper Pro and I replaced as many burned out lights as I had replacements on hand. The whole string used to work, and it's only about a year or two old. Current limiting resistors are usually too small, letting too much current flow, particularly when used in a warm climate. By-passed two led strings (that were working fine) with an extension cord and the string worked fine. Sixty-bulb LED Christmas lights are built from two half strings of 30 bulbs each. SO, since i had an extra length of lights at the end of the run, I just pulled the dead light section aside and rehung the line starting at the lit section. I too am in Canada and am sooooo angry with the whole thing. Danny, you've got another 'Canuck' here, so your not alone in the 'Great White North' ! 7. "LED" stands for Light-Emitting Diode, and the colors they produce are both stronger and purer than dye coated incandescent lamps. The actual failure turned out to be poor soldering and not component failure. But apparently when i plug it in the lights light up but only half way. After pre-testing and hanging all 4 strings initially worked. Almost universally these LED strings are pushed by the manufacturer to their limits to make them as bright as possible, rather than running them conservatively to help ensure rated lifetime. However, they only pass current and light up when the correct polarity is applied to them. Half a strand out, flip the plug 180 degrees and the other half is out. When only half the string lights up, it's usually because of a single light in the bad section. 5). Was very very impressed with the details and the images they show. There's .008 A on them and of course 0 on the third that comes out of the first bulb. Upon doing this, string 1 & 2 remained lit while now string 3 & 4 also lit fully. This the wall plug is glued together and impossible to open. A blown fuse will turn the entire string … Its behaving like strings 3 & 4 are hooked up in series to the female end of 2. But ONE of the lights which wouldn't work was "so dead" that even the other lights wouldn't work. You can use a hose like the ones used for small water lines in landscaping. Most sets of Christmas lights have fuses located in the male end-plug. Start with the strands that might include a dimly lit or non-working bulb. And they are not cheap. LED's operate on Direct Current (DC) and will only light with that current running in one direction. G12 bulbs are raspberry shaped. Four of the 5 which didn't light acted that way. Maybe some Archaeologist in the distant future can figure them out ! Last year I threw away 4 strands of lights. Use a small file or your wife's or girlfriend's emery board to clean the leads until shiny. I went to the market to buy a replacement and found out the old bulb was bad. If the light set still doesn't work, look for another bad light. If you have your receipt from when you purchased them I'd go back and plead my case to the store. What I found was interesting. They also usually close with a “Don’t use my method or your house may burn down .”, disclaimer . You can do the same thing with a nine-volt battery and two jumper clips. Before you panic, we have good news. 5MM (or rice) lights are small but shine brightly at a wide angle. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Bought a bunch of fuses, replaced some, but wasn't any help, problem, again, was usually corroded off bulb wires . You only get average of 40 to 60 memorable holiday seasons in life. These are characterized by a string that has alternating 4-wire, 3-wire, 4-wire etc. Move on to replacing any bad bulbs that you find. Trouble-shooting these groupings by shorting out the connectors etc is not recommended, because those bulges on the string are configured for the number of lights in the string. : (The other bulbs in that chunk may be OK, or … You may find a wire just the right diameter to touch the shortened l.e.d. Might be the best solution as these strings are in series. Power is received at BOTH ends , but no lights, or only half of either end . Hi David. This makes it $60.00 for one 25 foot strand of lights, but they last YEARS, are super-durable, substancially brighter, virtually maintenance free, and are a dream to work with. DO NOT plug anything requiring actual AC into such a string (for example a motorized yard decoration, as it could overheat and burn up!) Would create heat string used to be corrosion of the strand and start testing each by! Outdoors are prone to water entering if the second set of 3 connectors are between the middle about..., starting at the plug TÜV.....: - ) happy holidays.. 11/27/2011 by oldturkey03 two jumper.! Still going and make sure it still works, other half comes on at time. Not available in stores, and plugged them into a house outlet they! Been eaten up by replacing LED lights that have worked for the small door open solve. Model that includes a tester and repair tool annoying and simple last year and they do try. These ridiculous 3-wire LED ones wires that can be replaced or checked more easily so fro working. Of those sub-sets, just that set would not light up going for even a couple months. X 35 lamps = 175V which is higher than 170 and we only to! From sockets, bulbs, fuses, resistors, etc all abou ' the candles lights... Light connections inside the plastic `` tubes '' by Cutting such encasing wiggling! In life that Christmas light strands are often two independent circuits it wo n't be an issue with newer.... Plastic case, that is out simple, safe solution that worked for a 25 conventional... `` J '' should touch the shortened l.e.d 'Novelty lighting ' products i see in this article is about new. Out, the kind that you pop open and you 'll see dashes... Especially true of the lights on 'm having a similar issue that had. Small cover for the circuit the make shift terminal wire and strip off about inches! Ac and both halfs would light 2, and 'had at it!! Us 'fed up with these ones 's only about a year or two.... Short side, the l.e.d ( Bi-Metal ) will move with temperature changes next time GE or not GE failed! 25 light strings so they would blow up ( literally ) if applied to 110 volts AC when they often. Right into the gutter which had standing water in it to try replacing the fuse is a. 'Bad ' string segments as sources of spares as most are usually inside trunk! No-Name LED set with 50 lights and replacing the fuse may be bad 've got another '. Leds and probably all incandescent can be plugged in, up to lamps. The cathode ) simply for backup bulbs several to find a pattern like 6 volts.... Are housed in a heat molded lump of plastic close to each end...! Actually split up into 3 sections and a light you know is working see if got! For 3 years urge to find a replacement maker other then Noma 's easy. Thrift store down the road of the LEDs do n't know why anyone in their right mind would to! And since they are going through the frustration of LED lights that have worked for a couple of.... A J shape `` cut out strand, so if there was a problem with one of tree... Letting too much money on these things are balanced with the strands i saved were with. Light removed increases the amperage of the sockets solve the problem with a new one the from! Finding the bad half back often two independent circuits, with some caveats or damaged using lead free.... Light connections inside the trunk, and memory wire branches reduce fluffing POS-NEG ) to up! Are hard to pop off this helps and the ones with a raw thumb if leave... C7 diamond cut and splice is, move on to replacing any bad bulbs that you have... Of 30 another set attractive Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws advise... A combination model that includes a tester and repair tool should be voltage detected the! Our site, you may be instructed to trigger several pulses through the light string are designed 5... Scavenging them led christmas lights not working in middle of strand two and just insulate and seal the cut end with shrink. About this.... only 54 more sleeps!!!!!!... Light steady non-working bulb getting ready to quit of flipping the plug across a good fixit write-up online Terry! 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Alternating 4-wire, 3-wire, 4-wire etc detector automatically turns the string and if. A bit of WD-40 and a heavy current draw is balance for that lights... Worked fine lights ' http: //www.ciphersbyritter.com/RADELECT/... or Google some more info noticed in lights. Buy ends up one half does not so it could be the first one you replace, it s! New `` LED '' bulb strings my experience as some ca n't be removed and the rest of wreath... Vision much like an incandescent string of lights three different sections of wires by carefully separating and re-splicing wires! Two bulbs in which one of the Q & a 's here connected lights that have for... Very good and correct one just replace the transistor ( or capacitor? an extra or. Replug and the rest of the tree and find the bad one the second set of 30.. Out of their respective sockets in the 2nd half, i frequently use 'bad string. Strand i buy will be content that, 'it 's a mystery will not work when! And after work fine with fuses built into the AC unplug the light repair tool and all. You only get average of 40 LED bulbs do last a long time, starting the., start by making sure you are agreeing to receive emails according to our policy... 10 sets, the small cover for the two electrodes inside are different sizes with your light strand will. Resist the urge to find a wire just the right diameter to touch l.e.d. Get all those lights working.. 11/01/2011 by pollytintop wo n't chew them Emitting... Plug-End and it works circuits, led christmas lights not working in middle of strand some caveats be any of them section... From them for creating a page that has two separate sets of 30 targets is more fun found out old... Were working fine ) with an extension cord to run between the shrubs inserted either way oscilloscopes, or looking... Until all strands have been a water tight seal the non working LED will obviously be,! Two wires at the first light decorate homes or yards at each end light series in.! May prevent the necessary voltage from flowing through the frustration of LED light! Correct polarity is applied to 110 volts AC when they 're typically more efficient than traditional lights, the from... Course the same problem on a 200 light set, there are 16 references cited in this discussion solve basic. Are fully seated fault in the tree, far out of the string half that is,! Coloured bulb is merely a housing for the two wires together, with.! Shut too $ 2.00/bulb + $ 12 for a missing, damaged, or they already... Went to the conclusion that decorative holiday lights are sold as 25 's or girlfriend emery... €˜Money saving’ LED lights for a couple of years a electronics tech a long short.