OT ok what are you guys doing with these lights...

Anonymous-0 · Dec 23, 2011

What are you guys doing with these lights that have a section that won't light. It doesn't make sense that lights further down the string work but a section won't. Tried replacing all the bulbs - still won't light. A burned out bulb does not shut them all down but if you remove a burned out bulb a section will shut down. So it must be a coneection somewhere in there. Corrosion in one those @$&^* tiny sockets? This crap is so small I cannot see it even with my glasses on. Can you cut out the dark section and wire in a section that works? Half a dozen strands and each one has one section that doesn't light.

OH Boy · Dec 23, 2011

Not worth the aggaravation.

I always buy more new ones after christmas each year when they are half off (or even less), then when a string craps out on me it gets pitched and replaced. Not worth messing with. Just keep a few boxes of new ones on hand.

mazemeister · Dec 23, 2011

i just went through a string last week. it had 150 bulbs- wired as 3 sections in parallel with each section having 50 bulbs wired in series. so 120V/50 bulbs= 2.4 volts to each bulb. that"s why at a given point in the string of lights, there are 3 wires.

Janicholson · Dec 23, 2011

Shortest answer. They are in multiple series circuits with several parallel 120v branches. Thus a single group can fail. The lamps (if they are correct for the string!!!) have a shorting device in each bulb that begins to conduct when the lamp filiment fails. This means all the remaining bulbs get higher voltage than they should. When 3 burn out on the same series segment, the remaining bulbs are given more than enough to fail rapidly. If one whole segment will not light with correct new bulbs it probably has a socket failure. Each bulb has two wires that need to be placed carefully to make contact. (bent around the bulb base). They sell a tool that has the ability to check individual bulbs (battery)and wires for voltage. It is cheap, but also has long directions.
My solution is to buy only LED based strings. they do not get hot, and they have 10 times the life span. They are also dimmable with a SCR dimmer. Jim

Aaron Ford · Dec 23, 2011

Keep in mind all bulbs have both a filament and a resistor. Both have to fail for the section to fail. Thats why if you pull a dead bulb the section goes dark. Zip tie that section out and reuse. I tried resuscitate a string for hours and ended up pitching the whole thing.

Hope LEDs last longer cause thats what I bought this year.

Aaron

Anonymous-0 · Dec 23, 2011

I worked with a set like that for 5 hrs. checked every light, got them all working, put them back in: STILL HAD AREAS THAT DID'NT WORK. I put them in the trash with the other nine strings I was going to fix next. My wife just came in wiht new lights 75% off at Kmart, I would rather dig postholes!

Ky. Hauler · Dec 23, 2011

I use my 'noculars to look at the neighbor's lights. Easier that way.

S.Crum · Dec 23, 2011

After the wife left, I don't put up any lights. Much easier.

Nebraska Cowman · Dec 23, 2011

Who knows? I have a set I put up, only the front half was working. So I threw the dark ones on the floor behind a chair. Lites are on a timer. A week or so goes by and the lights come on. OK. So I string them up. This goes on about a week and then all of a sudden the lights start blinking. I don't know as I like them to blink but I don't know how to stop them. Only the half that didn't work to start with blinks. I guess I could hide them back behind the chair?

Gene Stevens Oh-Tx · Dec 23, 2011

The have a device that looks like a gun @ Target Crap-World and other places that you can check the lights and the circuit with for about 20 bucks. Works great and saves a lot of time.

Matt_In · Dec 23, 2011

I am a park manager for a park sytem where we do a very large light drive through show. We use those guns a lot and they do work for the most part. They do not work on LED lights though. We have switched to LED and I am not real happy with them. They burn out faster than the old glass ones I think. And once they go, they go.

caseman-d · Dec 23, 2011

It's usually just one bulb causing the problem. I have several sets that have quit working same spot eery year. Once I locate the problem I mark it with small piece of tape so I know where to look next time.
caseman-d

OT ok what are you guys doing with these lights...

Anonymous-0

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OH Boy

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mazemeister

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Janicholson

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Aaron Ford

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Anonymous-0

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Ky. Hauler

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S.Crum

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Nebraska Cowman

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Gene Stevens Oh-Tx

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