Those larger strings, like yours with red lamps and white wires, usually employ two circuits of fifty lamps in series. Each lamp, therefore, operates at a voltage of about 2.5 Volts. Testing them with a nine-Volt battery might be convenient, but it also severely overstresses the filament and will lead to an early, if not [near-]instantaneous, bulb death. Use a 1.5-Volt cell for bulbs in the larger sets.
thank you. i have a VERY old set of tulip lights that were my grandmother’s (and i’m 56, they old) that are very sentimental to me. really appreciate your help!
This video was very helpful and provided excellent troubleshooting techniques. I cringe when you recommend bypassing fuses and inserting tin foil in sockets. A safer approach would be to secure and test an alternate fuse from another strand or alternatively purchase replacement fuses before attempting a repair. Most light sets come with spare fuses, so if you save them along with the spare bulbs that are usually provided, problem solved. Additionally, testing a bulb or two with the battery would assure that you have a good bulb and eliminate the need to insert tin foil in a socket. Aside from these safety "no-no's", it was a good video. Safety First! Thanks for sharing.
Three years ago I realized that I was spending more time fixing those old incandescent light strings than I was hanging the lights !! 🤔🤔🤔🤔 I had maybe a dozen strings and I even had one of those "Impossible to repair" reindeer displays. I collected the lot and gave them all to the Well Good will store. I then went to Wally World and bought a boat load of LED style light strings. After three years of of usage, I have YET to have to repair a single one of them !! With all their color and automatic lighting options, they are a true Christmas Joy.
The bad part is when the internal shunt (coil of wire wrapped around the base of the Filaments) is bad as well. Then all the bulbs in that section go out. So, yes, you have to start at the end of the section and go bulb by bulb with a "Good Bulb" to find the bad bulb. I did this and golly, would you guess it, the bad bulb was #34! I should have started at the other end. Animals will chew on the wiring--found that on one string. Sometimes, the socket will have corrosion on the contacts. If you have patience, most of these strings are repairable. Finding the bulbs is another matter.
got a fix for bulbs that don't fit? i have all new bulbs from dollar tree, they don't fit another line that i want to fix (lights that are clipped to these plastic boards in the shape of bats, they're old Target decorations and I love these). stupid me didn't save the dead bulbs when I simply could have removed the dead bulbs from the bases and fitted the new bulbs to the old bases -_- now i am forced to find a way to make these all fit..
You could potentially take them out of their plastic, stick them into the new socket with the wires Clearly on the left and right and then slide a small wedge of wood in there to keep them pressurized to the sides Then maybe dab it with hot glue or something to hold it all together.
@Make it work instead of looking at every single bulb you can just turn it on and mark the broken ones with a black permanent marker it will safe you time in the long run.
That would only work if the string would still light up. in this video the string won't light up so you're looking for the culprit bulb without being able to turn it on
yes it is usually not a good idea to jump a fuse long term but seeing as 80% of christmas lights don't have a fuse and each bulb on the string acts as a fuse itself I'm not worried
@@johnfpotega2017 there are normal bulbs and one fuse bulb usually. Normally bulbs go short when filament burns out to keep it lit. When too many bulbs short, it draws excessive current and blows the fuse bulb. But it's actually questionable if a string with fused plug would use fuse bulb. But yeah, not only every bulb, but everything acts as a fuse at enough current...
There could be a short in the string, or a bad shunt in one of the light bulbs. I would recommend testing the string with a multimeter and finding the place where the circuit is broken
Those larger strings, like yours with red lamps and white wires, usually employ two circuits of fifty lamps in series. Each lamp, therefore, operates at a voltage of about 2.5 Volts. Testing them with a nine-Volt battery might be convenient, but it also severely overstresses the filament and will lead to an early, if not [near-]instantaneous, bulb death. Use a 1.5-Volt cell for bulbs in the larger sets.
You helped me solve my Christmas string light problem by watching your video, REALLY appreciate your help! GREAT VIDEO!!! THANKS!
thank you. i have a VERY old set of tulip lights that were my grandmother’s (and i’m 56, they old) that are very sentimental to me. really appreciate your help!
Wonderful! I'm so glad I could help.
Well done. Excellent video. I never thought using 9V battery to test the light bulb. Save money and time. Thanks
This video was very helpful and provided excellent troubleshooting techniques. I cringe when you recommend bypassing fuses and inserting tin foil in sockets. A safer approach would be to secure and test an alternate fuse from another strand or alternatively purchase replacement fuses before attempting a repair. Most light sets come with spare fuses, so if you save them along with the spare bulbs that are usually provided, problem solved. Additionally, testing a bulb or two with the battery would assure that you have a good bulb and eliminate the need to insert tin foil in a socket. Aside from these safety "no-no's", it was a good video. Safety First! Thanks for sharing.
I have fixed hundreds of light strings and never had a bad fuse. Nice job looking at all the different causes of failure.
You are a genius man, and as a genius man you have saved my Christmas lights. I do not like throwing them out, it’s wasteful.
Well done, clear and easy to follow. Good work! Thanks
Roger Sánchez 👍🎄🎄🥺🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
Roger Sánchez 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍🎄🎄🎄🤔🤔🤔
Nice, I liked the part about fuses. I didn't really know about that!
Three years ago I realized that I was spending more time fixing those old incandescent light strings than I was hanging the lights !! 🤔🤔🤔🤔
I had maybe a dozen strings and I even had one of those "Impossible to repair" reindeer displays.
I collected the lot and gave them all to the Well Good will store.
I then went to Wally World and bought a boat load of LED style light strings.
After three years of of usage, I have YET to have to repair a single one of them !!
With all their color and automatic lighting options, they are a true Christmas Joy.
Bypass the fuse with tinfoil....after that, test the electrical outlet by sticking a fork in it.
😂
Thank you!!! in all the videos I watch your was the best. I tested each bulb using the 9V battery and detected two faulty bulb
Traditionally, you use tinfoil to wrap around the turkey but, in this case, the turkey wraps the tinfoil around the bulb !
The old ones from the 90s and before had thinner wires. Which i prefer.
Thank you. Really. This was so simple to do
Thanks for sharing. Yours is very thorough.
Very useful and helpful info. Very easy to understand!
thanx
The bad part is when the internal shunt (coil of wire wrapped around the base of the Filaments) is bad as well. Then all the bulbs in that section go out. So, yes, you have to start at the end of the section and go bulb by bulb with a "Good Bulb" to find the bad bulb. I did this and golly, would you guess it, the bad bulb was #34! I should have started at the other end. Animals will chew on the wiring--found that on one string. Sometimes, the socket will have corrosion on the contacts. If you have patience, most of these strings are repairable. Finding the bulbs is another matter.
That is very cool! And handy to know because Christmas is coming up. thanks😁
Great tip on using the 9 volt battery to test the bulb. Not comfortable with the foil hack.
Nice vid. This repairing old Christmas lights vid, was really interesting to watch.👍😄
Thanx
Next video: How I rebuilt my house that burned down.
got a fix for bulbs that don't fit? i have all new bulbs from dollar tree, they don't fit another line that i want to fix (lights that are clipped to these plastic boards in the shape of bats, they're old Target decorations and I love these). stupid me didn't save the dead bulbs when I simply could have removed the dead bulbs from the bases and fitted the new bulbs to the old bases -_- now i am forced to find a way to make these all fit..
You could potentially take them out of their plastic, stick them into the new socket with the wires Clearly on the left and right and then slide a small wedge of wood in there to keep them pressurized to the sides Then maybe dab it with hot glue or something to hold it all together.
Gracias. Puse el papel metalizado en la lampara quemada y funcionó.
@Make it work
instead of looking at every single bulb you can just turn it on and mark the broken ones with a black permanent marker
it will safe you time in the long run.
That would only work if the string would still light up. in this video the string won't light up so you're looking for the culprit bulb without being able to turn it on
@@Make-it-work Roger Sánchez 😭🤔🤔🤔🎄🎄🎄🤔🤔
Roger Sánchez 👍🎄👍🤭🥰👍🎄👍🤭🤭
He - obviously - did not run this by his attorneys before posting.
Jumping a fuse like that is a fire hazard replace the fuse?
yes it is usually not a good idea to jump a fuse long term but seeing as 80% of christmas lights don't have a fuse and each bulb on the string acts as a fuse itself I'm not worried
@@johnfpotega2017 there are normal bulbs and one fuse bulb usually. Normally bulbs go short when filament burns out to keep it lit. When too many bulbs short, it draws excessive current and blows the fuse bulb. But it's actually questionable if a string with fused plug would use fuse bulb.
But yeah, not only every bulb, but everything acts as a fuse at enough current...
What's the problem, when all light bulbs, light, when tested on 9V battery and new fuses added to plug, and string still not lighting?
There could be a short in the string, or a bad shunt in one of the light bulbs. I would recommend testing the string with a multimeter and finding the place where the circuit is broken
En Francais svp
Aluminum foil...not "tin" foil
Tin foil is an old-fashioned word.