Re: WOT - How to figure out which Christmas Bulb/Socket is Bad

On Dec 5, 7:06 pm, newmantjn <packer....@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
So I have a string up and, of course, it is now out.  I visually
checked the bulbs/sockets and they seemed OK.  I'm not keen on buying
a $25 tester that may or may not work to fix a $5 string of lights.
Does anybody have any ideas I could use that only require a
multimeter, test light or jumper?  Thanks.

http://christmas.howstuffworks.com/christmas-lights.htm

I found that to be a great explanation of how christmas lights work.
I spent a few hours getting all the lights on our tree working, but
replacing lights on those pre-lit trees is a real PITA. Ultimately I
found one bad socket and many lights had mysteriously vanished bulb
leads.

You could go down the strand, pull the lamps and examine them to
ensure both bulb leads extrude through the base, but my eyes grow
weary of that after about 5. I kept a good strand at the side with a
lamp removed, and moved down the bad strand lamp by lamp testing them
in the good strand and only inspecting the leads on those that didn't
light the good strand. That speeds things up. It only takes one to
kill a strand and I found several per strand with missing leads. Oh -
if you've put in the flasher bulb, check that one first.

For the bad socket I had to go through the strand with a multimeter on
resistance, one side clipped to the strand plug, the other side
testing the inside of each socket. The resistance should increase
steadily as you get away from the plug.

'Course all of this is for the truly cheap who won't buy the right
tool, or those who decide to set up christmas after a few drinks late
at night. I fall into both camps. :)

Cheers!

Sam
.

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