Holiday lights, like a lot of things in your home, require maintenance and regular replacement. Do you know the life span of your lights? Incandescent bulbs should be replaced every 4-6 years. LED lights last a bit longer, for 7-10 years.
Why do Christmas lights fail so much?
Faulty Bulbs
The number one culprit when portions of a strand of Christmas lights go out is a single faulty bulb. If you isolate the location of the bulb, you can easily replace it and restore power to the entire strand. You can find the bad bulb easily by using a light tester.
How many seasons do Christmas lights last?
Just Don’t Expect Too Much
So here’s an honest answer to the question: A string of top-quality, professional-grade Christmas lights can reasonably be expected to last for roughly 6 or 7 seasons. That assumes that the lights are removed and stored during the off-season, and not left up year-round.
How long are outdoor Christmas lights good for?
Because they’re likely to be exposed to harsh exterior conditions, these lights have a shorter lifespan than indoor LEDs, but you can still expect six or seven seasons out of them.
When should I replace my outdoor Christmas lights?
The lifespan of Christmas lighting typically depends on the kind of lights you have and how you use them. For example, traditional incandescent lights usually have a lifespan of around four to six years, while newer LED lights often last anywhere from seven to ten years.
What to do when half a string of lights is out?
If only half the strand is out…
If half a strand is working and the other half is not, you probably have a loose or broken bulb. Start with the first unlit bulb and work your way down, wiggling them to check for looseness. If it flickers, that’s your cue to replace it.
Why would an entire string of lights go out?
If one of the resistors fails or is removed, the circuit is now open, current flow is disturbed and none of the resistors will work. This is why one bad, loose or missing lightbulb will make the whole string go dark!
Is it safe to leave your Christmas lights on all night?
Christmas tree lights should not be left on for prolonged periods of time or overnight. Even LED lights can overheat, and with a combination of a dry Christmas tree, could cause a fire. Make it a habit to turn off your Christmas lights every time you leave the house or go to bed at night.
Should I leave Christmas lights on all night?
Turn them off before bed and when you leave the house.
If Christmas lights are left on for too long, they can get hot and become a fire hazard. For this reason, Sharon Cooksey, fire safety educator at Kidde, says to turn your lights off when you go to sleep or leave your home.
Is it OK to use old Christmas lights?
“Brittle or exposed wire indicates that your incandescent string lights are past their prime and potentially unsafe to use,” says John Banta, a CR test engineer. If the wire is pliable, plug the strand in to test the bulbs. If a few bulbs are out and you have the original spares, it’s safe to replace them.
How do you tell which bulb is out on a string of lights?
You can tell which bulb is out on your string of traditional Christmas lights by looking for the bulb that is “burned out” by looking at the tiny little filaments in the light bulbs to see which bulb is “burned out” or has lost it’s filament. Many times the bulb will be “smoked” as well.
Why do Christmas lights only last a year?
The filament is burnt out.
Generally people complain that their Christmas lights only last a year, and when they pull them out the next holiday season, they find that they’re useless.
How can I make Christmas lights last longer?
How To Make Your Christmas Lights Last Longer
- When you take down your lights wrap them in coils around your arm and place them neatly into a storage bin. (
- Take your bin inside and take off the lid.
- Put the bin in a warm location in your home for 3-4 days.
How do you know if Christmas lights are bad?
The easiest way to find faulty bulbs on incandescent Christmas lights is with a Christmas light tester. Simply bring the light tester close to each bulb. The tester’s indicator will light up when it’s near a functioning bulb.
Why do Christmas lights not work after a year?
Only 3 reasons string lights stop working completely: the copper wiring is compromised (physically cut or corroded), the fuse is blown or there is a loose or broken bulb. If only part of the strand isn’t working it’s a bulb problem.
What do you do if your Christmas lights don’t work?
How to Fix a String of Christmas Lights
- Diagnose the problem. Carefully inspect each string of lights before plugging it into an electrical outlet.
- Find the bad bulb, and swap it out.
- Fix the faulty filament or shunt.
- Replace the fried fuse.
- Upgrade your lights.
What happens if you string too many Christmas lights together?
Why? Because light strings have a maximum wattage capacity, which is why many string lights come with a little fuse just in case you connect too many together at once. The fuse is designed to blow so you don’t overload and damage your Christmas lights.
How can you tell if a fuse is blown in Christmas lights?
With the plug in hand, slide the door marked “Open” in the direction pointed by the arrow. Remove the two fuses, and inspect them by looking at them up against a bright background (such as the sky). If the fuse is good, you should see an unbroken strand of wire running between the two metal contacts.
Why do only half of my LED Christmas lights work?
If one of your LED light strands isn’t working, it’s probably just because it has a bad bulb. If one bulb dies, it can cause the rest of the strand to stop working. The only way to fix the problem is to find the bad bulb. Sometimes only a section of the lights will go out, making your job pretty easy.
Why is one section of my Christmas lights out?
Check for any bulb that is missing or partially unseated from the socket and if you find a space or wonky bulb, replace the bulb with one of the two extra bulbs that hopefully were included with your light set or gently push the bulb back into its socket.
Do LED Christmas lights stay lit when one burns out?
So the bottom line is that if one bulb goes out, but it’s still intact, then yes, the light set will stay lit. But if the LED lens is significantly cracked or damaged, then anywhere from half to the full set will go out.