SO .. The smartest people are on the Wall ?

ScottMP

How about we see if someone can answer the most important question of the Holiday.

How the HELL do you fix those little strands of lights that only light HALF WAY down the strand , huh, huh ?

How about it ? I tried last year. I checked the fuses, yea those little ones. I even took out the offending bulb that had quit and replaced it. I cut out the bulb and wired past it.

I feel so wastefull just throwing out the things and buying new ones. My thechnicians mind says I can fix this and my wifes voice says " Just go buy new ones ".

More Beer ... Less Lights

Santa Milne

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Mike T., Swampeast MO

Find One of These

It puts high frequency A/C through the strand when you push the big red button and "shocks" them into operation. If the set doesn't come on immediately (it usually does) you move the "left-right" switch and try again. If it still doesn't light, one of the bulbs will probably be buzzing rapidly--replace that bulb. If no light and no buzz (very rare) there's a probe that you place near each bulb--when you find the bad one it makes a strange noise.

Really don't know if they're still made. Found one from a supplier one year and snapped it up. Don't believe it ever got UL approval.

Key to mini-lights is the thing called the "shunting device". Look near the bottom of the filament supports and you'll see a little wrap of wire. When the filament burns out, the supports are supposed to spring out and contact the shunt, thus completing the circuit.

50 light strands use 2.5V bulbs in series. 100, 150, etc. strands are parallel groups of 50 bulbs in series, so that's why one chunk will die. (If using that device you have to remove a bulb from each working portion as the high frequency can damage completely working strands.)

Always replace bulbs as they burn out as voltage increases to the rest reducing their life.

Lacking one of these, there are little testers available almost everywhere. You place it by each bulb and generally an LED will light when you find the bad one. (These are NOWHERE near as good or reliable as this device.)

The manual way is to thump each bulb near the base--that will usually get the supports to spring out and activate the shunt. Also make certain that the bulbs are firmly in their sockets.

Second photo shows the innards. Something out of Tesla's laboratory? Some rather non-standard looking components in there. The light bulb with wires just soldered to the base might have something to do with the lack of UL approval

Dan Peel

Smart Lady

Just go buy new ones. Enjoy.....Dan

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Henry_9

Why am I not suprised

that there is a gadget for this...and Mike has it,


GO GO GADGET LIGHT FIXER

Henry

Viessmann Midwest

Dave Yates (PAH)

faster than the speed of light

well, not really, but I have several dozen strings of lights for the outdoors and grew weary of trying to test them in sub-freezing weather whilst they were entangled in bushes and trees.

I've found the quickest method (I had one of those testers) is to simply grasp the glass portion of the bulb, hold the base & twist the bulb in its socket 1/4 to 1/2 turn. This causes the wires leading into the bulb to touch. As soon as you hit the offending bulb - voila - the remainder light up. No need to un-twist the bulbs - they work just as well twisted!

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Ranger

This...

...is why I dig the yule log...:-)

John R. Hall

Extension cord

I had the same problem when stringing lights on my outdoor tree. Fortunately, the half that wouldn't light were closest to the wall plug so I just used that section of the strand as an extension cord. The bushes hide them anyway.

ScottMP

Dave

I am talking about the mini lights. They don't turn in the base, they push in, do you just twist the glass portion ?




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GMcD

LED Lights

Up in the Great White North we are mostly getting those nice low energy LED holiday light strings, no burnouts, solid state. Time to dump the energy guzzling incandescents for modern technology.

Dave Yates (PAH)

Right

Twist the bulb portion. If you remove the light from its socket, the two thin wires can be straightened and a new bulb (used from scrap string) can be inserted. I've had to do that with many due to the bulb's plastic base design being different between manufacturers.

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Maine doug_2

I always put

a dimmer in the tree lights circuit. By undervolting the bulbs even a litle bit, they last much longer. Usually a bulb gets broken from impatience with the untangling process.

David_5

At our house

My wife puts them up, I take them down. I don't care how she deals with lights that don't work.

David

Paul Pollets

Sometimes...

It pays to be Jewish. I only have seven lights to deal with

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Christian Egli

Hey, this has nothing to do with steam and hot water, it's a con

There is the "stay-lit" Christmas lights. It looks like an ordinary minibulb string, it uses ordinary bulbs but, each socket contains a tiny microchip that will determine if the bulb is good or not and keep the rest of the string in operation, even if it is the last bulb left.

It sounds way more complicated than it really is. It was invented here in Dayton by an NCR engineer who holds heap loads of patents on LCD devices and plasma screens and more notably, the ever useful mood ring. The "stay-lit" is a big success for him.

Did good old St-Nick bring you anything sweet? It's his day today, December 6. Oranges and spice breads were a treat when I was a kid.

Have fun with your lights, that's the spirit of the Holidays.

soot_seeker_2

how to fix those cheapee xmas lights......

how to fix those cheapee xmas lights......

procedure:

step 1:

check for existence of any tag that indicates the product was 'made in china'.

step 2:

if so (it will be), throw them out. they're only good for about one safe season in the freezing cold anyway.

step 3:

TIP: next year, take them down & back inside before july.

ScottMP

Touche

Much easier Paul, and thanks for the smile.

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John Conway

lights, memories & the Wall

Last night at the dinner table I was laughing over this Christmas light post & marvelling at the incredible wealth of knowledge (& humor & kindness) on the Wall. I described the infernal machine from an earlier post & my wife went into the pantry & dug out this from a junk catalog. Why we haven't recycled the silly thing is beyond me, but I couldn't resist. Susan still thinks my Wall addition is nuts, but where else can you read about steam, lights & lobster tank specs?

As for memories - a Christmas tradition - lights strung out the length of the house on the floor, every 6" or so from wall to wall. There on the floor, Dad swapping out lamps & patiently, quietly, gentlemanly muttering curses under his breath. He's 87 now & not able to crawl around on his hands & knees, so I get to do the muttering.... What a gift!

ScottMP

AHA

There's the ticket. O.K. that and that fact my wife just bought those stay-lit type that someone mentioned.

My Name is Scott, and I'm a wallie. Its an addiction alright. But to hang out with wonderfull people is not a bad one.

Scott

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Moses

Seven Days???????

Paul! In the east coast we have eight days! plus the "shamas" , that the center one.

Happy Chanuka

Moses

Ken_8

Oy!

Vey...

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Paul Pollets

Forgetting the shamus..

That's what happens when you move to the NW. You loose a light. Happy Chanukah, Moishe!!

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