How To Fix Christmas Lights Half Out - Ace Hardware 

Thank you for making this so easy. After trying to find the exact same strand of lights I watched your video and decided to fix it myself and it worked!

Thank you! Home repair is not intuitive for me one bit, but I am determined to try and fix something before recycling or discarding it. My strand had the disconnected wires at the end with an end bulb holder split, I got a wire nut and closed the loop and voila, the entire strand is lit! I am so proud I was able to make this fix and grateful for this very helpful video.

The statement that if one fuse is blown it could cause half the string to be out is INCORRECT. There are two fuses in the plug of most Christmas lights but its because both plug blades are fused. The plugs are non-polarized meaning both blades are the same size so either could be plugged into the line (hot) side of an outlet. If either fuse is blown, the whole string would not work.

Thank you. Simple fixes for a frustrating situation.

"LIGHT SETS ARE EASILY REPAIRABLE if you take your time and do it right." 04:22 Thank you! I needed to hear that.

Fantastically helpful video, as all Ace Hardware videos are. Thank you so much!

You saved my life! 😂 meaning my wife is happy our lights work, thank you Ace Hardware!

Worked perfectly! There was a wire disconnected and 2.5 min into this video, I went back outside and fixed it. Thank you!

Very helpful - thanks!

Thanks Lou it is a fine video.

What if a whole strip is out but both connected strips on each end are still lighting up?

If you do end up having to cut a light out, you'll have a space that is not lit. If you can't hide it, try zip-tying (or taping) the next light in line to the correct space between the other lights. You can buy zip ties or tape in a color to match your wire. Another solution would be if you have two strings that are not working that are identical and you find one light is bad, cut out a light with sufficient wiring on both ends from both strings and splice a good light in place of the bad light on the string that you want to repair, (or you could buy a new identical string just to use for spare parts).

Really helpful. Thanks.

This was great! Thanks!

Thank you so much. Lights were all up, so replacing the string would be a BIG job. Found the broken spot where the squirrels probably chewed through. Stripped the wires like you instructed, added a little electrical tape and Voila! we have lights again. Thank you! so much!!

Watched video and saw that I had broken wire. Spliced back together again. Everything working. Thank You Ace

The amount of stress you just saved me from is priceless! Dare I say I think I may be in love with you!

Thanks Ace

Thanks for sharing

Good information. This could apply to the lighted trees that come in parts and have a problem between sections. TY

Just in time to put out my Christmas Reindeer! Tested them last weekend, half were out. Hope it works

You save my life 😊😊

Bought 5 sets of 100 l.e.d.s from lowes last year, 2 failed so i returned them all. Bought 6 from home depot of a different brand and all worked but 1, returned and replaced it. Worked fine all last season. Checked all 6 sets before i took them to the roof and they all worked. After spending 2 hours on the roof hunched over i plugged them in. 3 fully on and 3 sets only partially come on wtf. Im so tired of chinese made junk and the aggrevation of pulling them out of clips every 16". Once i take all these lights off im done dealing with this nuisance every year.

I need spares for these exact LEDs. Hopefully I don't need to call the A-Team ( @4:09 ) to fix my lights... What's the LED model ?

OMG, you saved me hundreds of dollars. Didn't even realize these had fuses.

Saved a strand of my lights!

Literally poked a wire back in and my whole strip came back, THANKS

I also learned that if you have a broken light don't remove it unless you are going to replace it. It will knock half the string out.

Well, we don’t need a video for such an easy repair. I was hoping to find a way to repair a Christmas led lights which don’t show a loose wire.

in my set, half are not out, but dim. Like half are bright, and half are barely on. Any ideas on why it could be?

Push the wire in super glue the the insulation cover to the light body, done.

Good 👍

Bravo

I had taken one light bulb out and it had turned the hole lower half off I’ve been looking for video to help for a minute

Yes, the jury-rigged electrical tape option is best. I've started several house fires doing things half-assed and am pretty sure I can start one at your place too. Gimme a call!

yuh 😍😍😍😍

How would a blown fuse cause half the lights to go out?

I have 4 candy cane lights. The first 2 light up, both fuses are good, wires look good. What could cause the second 2 from working?

Ace should also have white electrical tape to make the connection and hide the wire nut. 🎅

I have a a Candy Cane window silhouette that isn’t working at all. It’s old but it worked last year. Even if a bulb is burnt out the others still work. Last year I noticed the wire was a little ‘sensitive’, depending upon how it was bent or positioned. All the lights would turn off if the wire was bent a bent a certain way but then would turn back on if I repositioned (fiddled) with the wire. I’m hoping to be able to fix the problem. Any advice? I don’t think this window silhouette has any fuses.

It likely will not be a fuse iirc because both neutrak and hot notj usth ot or live etc energized no not energized both are energized but both are fused for some reason idk why instead of just hot/because otherwise I have theory that it maybe possible if the neutral blows first then its dangerous due to being still energized.

Sometimes the fuses may even just got knocked out of the holders or even just not make a connection

Do we need both fuses? Can the lights work on just one fuse? (in a two fuse slot)

i just cried and gave up lmao

Just bought these lights lit up for a week then went out (the whole string)! checked the fuses that wasn't it now what do i do?

Pleeeeease help ! I have 2 identical same brand LED fairy lights (3 wires) that I want to connect together to make it longer and being able to use only one plug for it. How can I do that ??? I would love if there is a tutorial on it. Please help, I really wanna get it ready for my Christmas decorations :)

tbh if you dont want to lose a light in the string you can (i've done this a few too many times) take the diode/bulb out and remove the contact plate the wire got ripped out of and solder it back on then reinsert the contact plate

A Team!!!

What about fixing incandescent light sets.

If one fuse was burned out none of the lights would work because there wouldn't be a complete circuit.

Great points, but alas...all wires good, fuses good, and bulbs good. 2 lines with 50% lights...threw em away.

How to fix a curtain light with USB , not even single LED lighting. What to check everything looks in place ?

OR you could hot glue the wire in the hole!!

What if i plug in,there's light but just seconds then shut off,hoping for your reply thanks

Holiday lights?

I have a Santa Claus on a slay with a tree & each rain deer next to it! For outside but they all are on one string of wires! Maybe a short bc only Santa's slay is on the deers are not? 🎅🎄🦌🦌

Also note: bad bulbs can either be at the beginning…OR…. the end of the bad section

The title is incorrect, because the video covers checking the wires, but doesn't mention how to check for a bad bulb, which would also cause half your strand to go out. And, as previously mentioned in other comments, the fuse advice is incorrect.

No broken wires, no blown bulbs. Still not getting a connection somewhere half the strand is still out. Thoughts?

So the light string won't light at all but star tree topper that is plugged into the string lights up, what's up here?

Lights are such a pain in the a**….Why do we put ourselves through this? 😅

Its strange they use 2 loops

The fuse is NEVER the problem.

I just buy another set at Ace for 5$. I'm so done with trying to fix Xmas lights, but thank you for giving these tips. What if there is no easy fix, like this one? I have to swap out lites one by one? No thanks.

Wouldn't a bad fuse take out the entire strand, and not just half?

This must be a joke. How do I know what is happening when 40 out of 60 do not work and the wire and fuse are ok??!

Bought a $40.00 voltage detector. It didn't help.

Can I take mine to my Ace Hardware store for repair

That's what SHE said😎

So what is the problem when half the strand is out and fuses are good, no loose wires, and all bulbs are fine?? The strand is made by Sylvania and is only 1 year old.

I have to have Beer🍺to strand lights

Just so everyone knows when you remove one light from a series string all the other LED's will be driven a tiny bit harder. May lead to weak led's failing sooner than they would otherwise.

But what happens when each bulb has 3 wires?

as an amendment perhaps state that the more you remove the higher voltage is going through the rest of the led's and therefore pushing them will make them last less time before more burn out.

Hey it's 2022... When you say you already "checked the fuse" and don't show how you checked it basically ruins the video

What about if there's a fuse in line that can't be removed?

You would only be here if you’ve noticed lights are no longer quality made.

Not correct! If there is one bad fuse it means the continuity of the circuit is broken and nothing at all would work.

Lhi

I would say use some whiteout on the electric cap and squeeze some hot glue into it to seal it from water. Very discreet if you can’t hide it. Ps I almost donated my lights with this issue. I’ll check them with this idea later. Thanks

You represent a hardware company and you don't have white electrical tape?

"We can do it two ways. Let's do the really janky ugly way."

Its easier to just buy a new strand

What a coincidence. I have 10 strings of LED lights I bought at my local Ace 3 years ago. Now, on 3 strings only half the string works. Fuses OK, no noticeable pulled wires. I suspect most failures are failed or corroded sockets or a bulb with blown shunt.

Like every other Father I fucking hate Christmas lights.

Holiday lights? Really? MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Wire nuts & electrical tape outdoors in the winter yeah that's weatherproof absolutely not it will green corrode Solder & heat shrink two layers only thing that works

Sounds too complicated. Looks like I’m buying new lights

Okay, but al the wires are in

Lost me at "holiday lights".

Just can’t say Christmas eh?

Wire pulled out that is rarely the problem but it is one any idiot can find as Lou has proved. Ace you have done nothing here,

Christmas lights, not holiday lights. Secularism, do not reappropriate Christmas, make your own holiday, and see if anyone cares

You took a easy problem not helpful in real world. Thanks

They are called Christmas lights not holiday lights. You don’t need to be politically correct!

Here's what you do: Step 1: At the end of every season, throw away all of your lights. Step 2: At the beginning of every season, buy new lights. Test them outside the store. If they don't work, take them back. Better yet, save your receipt and take them back at the end of the season. Free lights! . Gee, Chinese made crap filling up landfills? Hey Nation Obese... stay home. Lose weight.

This shit has no audio

Lights are such a pain in the a**….Why do we put ourselves through this? 😅