How to Find the Bad Bulb on Christmas Lights

Why Do Christmas Lights Malfunction?

There are many reasons Christmas lights stop functioning. The main reasons are due to broken wires, blown fuses, faulty shunts, loose bulbs, broken outlets and circuit breaker trip.

What you’ll need to fix a String of Bad Christmas Lights

For you to fix bad Christmas Lights, you need to have a light tester tool, An Outlet, safety glasses, and replacing bulbs that match the voltage rating of the lights so that you can bring those lights back to life.

Troubleshooting Christmas Lights

You need to figure out if the problem is a wiring issue or just a single bad bulb. You need to look at whether there are loose bulbs, damaged electrical plugs or outlets, or frayed or damaged wires. If you are not sure where the problem is, then you can use a multimeter or call a reputable electrical service.

Finding Bad Bulbs on Luminous Christmas Lights

Ideally, most incandescent string lights are usually wired in a series, meaning that electricity needs to pass through every bulb so that it can complete the circuit. This means a single bulb can cause the string to multifunction. The simple way to find bad bulbs on incandescent lights is by using a light tester. You need to bring the tester close to every light. If the indicator on the tester does not light up, then the bulb is not functioning properly.

If you are using a non-contact voltage detector, then you need to bring the detector near the section of the wire between bulbs so that you can test voltage. You may need to seek the help of a professional electrician.

Finding Bad Bulbs on LED Christmas Lights

LED Christmas lights are typically designed without removable bulbs to prevent the circuit from failing if a single bulb breaks. If an LED Christmas light with removable bulbs is experiencing issues, the troubleshooting process is the same as that of incandescent bulbs. If you don’t have voltage detectors or other tools, but you have a replacement bulb, you can try replacing all the bulbs along the string as a troubleshooting method. To do this, go down the length of the string and replace each bulb one by one, checking to see if the problem is solved after each replacement. If you can experience a problem in finding a bad bulb in the Christmas Lights, then you can call an electrician in Arlington.

How to Replace the Bad Christmas Lights

Whenever you are replacing bulbs, make sure that you replace LED or incandescent bulbs with the correct voltage rating. It is important to always follow electrical safety procedures when working with Christmas lights. Make sure you unplug the lights before replacing or removing any bulbs. When screwing in replacement bulbs, be sure to do so carefully.

If you are not comfortable working with electrical systems, it is best to seek the help from Mr. Electric to diagnose and fix any issues you may experience with your Christmas lights. Call us today and enjoy top-quality services from the leading electrical service at pocket-friendly rates.