How to Fix Outdoor Christmas Lights – DIY Solutions for Holiday Decor

Holiday lights are often damaged by the elements, power surges and long periods of time in storage. But these DIY tools can help you keep your outdoor lighting in working order for years to come.

Vig recommends wrapping strands of lights around cardboard cut to fit into plastic storage bins, and labeling the bins. Also consider using a light reel designed to keep your lights untangled and easy to deploy next year.

1. Check the Wires

The first thing to do when a string of lights goes out is carefully inspect the wires. Look for cracked or slit insulation, frayed or exposed wires and damaged plugs. These are all problems that can lead to a short or even fire. It’s best to discard any strand of lights with these issues.

If you find a problem with the wiring, you can repair it using a pair of wire cutters and some pliers to strip the two bare ends of each wire. Next, twist them together. If the strand still doesn’t light, you need to replace the wires.

Another common cause of light string failure is a blown fuse. Check the fuses (there are usually two of them) in the male end-plug. These are located behind a little door that slides back. If the fuse is blown, replace it with one that has the same rating as the original set.

2. Replace the Bulbs

When you set out strands of lights, check each bulb to make sure it isn’t burned out. This is especially important with older bulbs that draw more power than newer LED bulbs. This can quickly overdraw a circuit and lead to a fire hazard.

It’s also possible for a single burned-out bulb to ruin the entire string of lights. If this is the case, a continuity or voltage tester will help you locate the bad one.

Another option is to carefully go through each unlit bulb on the strand, wiggling them and testing them with the tester. This is a more tedious solution, but it can save your display from the darkness of a dead strand of lights. If you have a few extra replacement bulbs on hand, use them to replace the ones that burnt out. This will help you avoid wasting an entire strand and reduce your energy usage. You can also try swapping in LEDs for your old, incandescent bulbs to cut your electricity usage even more.

3. Test the Lights

Christmas lights can add a wonderful festive glow to any home during the holidays. However, they can be problematic if they break down. Common issues include tripped circuit breakers, blown fuses and burnt-out bulbs. The good news is that most of these problems are easy to fix.

You can use a Christmas light tester to help identify and fix the problem. These tools allow you to slide back the plastic covering on the plug and then test each bulb in a section of the string. A tool like this can save you from removing and replacing a whole section of the strand.

If you don’t have a tester, the most reliable way to fix Christmas lights is by testing each bulb in the unlit section of the string. This helps identify which bulb is the culprit and it allows you to replace it. Additionally, it’s important to turn off your holiday lights when you’re done with them to avoid fire hazards. You can also invest in a switch timer to help moderate their usage.

4. Wrap the Lights

There’s nothing worse than attempting to set up a strand of Christmas lights only to find that the bulbs have burned out, or that the entire string isn’t functioning. It’s important to remove any strands that no longer work before packing them away for storage.

One way to avoid tangled lights when storing them is to use a cord storage reel. These are available at most hardware stores, and they allow you to easily wrap up multiple strands of lights. They also protect the cords from damage while in storage.

Another easy DIY solution is to cut a cardboard tube (the kind that contains single-malt whisky or the paper towel rolls) and wrap the lights around it. Just be sure to rinse out the inside of the tube to prevent attracting bugs while in storage.

You can also use a reusable twist tie to hold the strand of lights together, and then wrap each in bubble wrap or leftover wrapping paper for extra protection. Using this method, it’s possible to keep your lights tangle-free while they are stored in labeled bins for next year.