mini light strings

[michael spencer]

Can anyone explain any reason why so many of my 100 light strings have the last 50 lights not working.

Power is going through the string to the end connection. Could it be the age of them, about 5 years old.??

[dgrant]

Mini lights are incandescent lamps. They typcially don't last that long due to something called "Electron Travel" which is essentially the filament getting thin and burning out. What you are seeing is there's a wire to pass the power to the end connection socket but the serially fed wire from half of the lamps is fine and the other half, has a bad lamp(s). 5 Years of use isn't too bad considering in our sequences, we are turning things on/off a lot. You have two options...locate the bad lamp and replace it with the proper spare or replace the string.

[George Simmons]

Actually, there's a third option.  You could switch over to sealed LEDs and end your days agonizing over finding bad bulbs and looking at faded colors. 

 

Just saying ...

[jeffl]

Cracked bulbs, filament burnt, deformed case, bent leads in case, broken leads in case, pulled wires in case.  There are many reasons that they could go bad.  Finding the issue can be a real pain sometimes.

[michael spencer]

Thanks for the replies.

Think I will just have to use them this year as they are and start to replace them next year.

Thanks again.

[JeffF]

Grab the Light Keeper Pro from Lowes or wherever and read the instructions and/or watch videos on YouTube on how to use it.

My strings are all 6 or 7 years old and I have probably fixed 50% of the strands that didn't work in less than 2 minutes.

If you don't already do so... make sure you replace the burned out bulbs when you see them. It makes for less stress on the working bulbs and can also help avoid a non-working section.

-Jeff (Incandescent Lighting Fanatic)

[dgrant]

You know, I've got two of those Light Keeper Pros and neither have yet to repair a single light string thats failed on me when talking incans. I've also got the LED Keeper Pro and it indeed works as designed.

[JeffF]

Don't know what to tell you.  They do work wonders when you know how to use them. The audible trace is easiest to use when the strands are laid out but it's still pretty simple to use when the strands are on decorations.

 

The clicker only shuts shunts once in a while but it does create an arc that can be seen in the dark.  I use my daughters 12 year old eyes sometimes for this since they are more sensitive then my eyes and can usually see the arc before me.

 

I only throw away strands as a last resort and it's usually because I did something stupid.