#Christmas light string half out series

Troubleshooting Christmas lights is much like troubleshooting anything. Besides, in trying to repair the string, you might create a fire or shock hazard. Trying to find and repair the bad receptacle or wire is more work than the cost of the string of lights. You should replace the entire string of lights. Step 3: If the above two steps do not resolve the problem, you have a problem with one of the receptacles or a wire. If still not resolved, move on to the second half and do the same. Continue through the half section until you have resolved the problem or have tested every bulb in that half. If the bulb is bad, replace it with a tested good bulb. Test the center bulb with the tester or by trying it in a working section of lights. Use a wire or bread tie to mark your center point. The fit of the bulbs into the receptacle can easily wiggle loose, causing them to break connection but still remain in the receptacle.

Step 1: Make sure all the bulbs are securely seated in their receptacles. It is a simple and easy to make, and successfully tests both types of bulbs. This is where I got the idea for the mini-light tester. The only way to test whether the bulb is good it to plug it into power. Testing these types of bulbs with an ohm meter is not reliable because of the extra path. This creates a path through the bulb allowing it to burn out, but the rest of the bulbs to glow. With the newer style, there is a second pathway through the bulb other than the light filament. If one of the older or cheaper style bulbs goes out, you break the voltage going out to the rest, thus the entire string of 50 goes out. If we do the math (2.5 x 50 = 125), we find that hits the correct voltage with a little extra for line fluctuations.

#Christmas light string half out series

When voltages are in series they are additive. However, the light are wired as a series of 50 bulbs.

Mini-light only draw 2.5 volts, but we plug them into 120 volts. One that just goes dead causing the whole series of 50 bulbs to go dead, and the newer style that goes dead but allows the others to continue to glow. You are likely to run into two different breeds of mini-lights. Christmas lights are great when they work, and sometimes troublesome when they don’t. With decorating, you have 100’s of little mini Christmas lights.