Tricks for Troubleshooting a Pre-Lit Christmas Tree Perfectly
Required Materials
- Tree with lights already installed
- A new set of fuses
- Substitute light bulbs
We live in a time where one of the greatest innovations ever is the pre-lit Christmas tree. Thanks to these technological marvels, people of the future won’t have to worry about the nightmare of tangled light strands, spending hours wrapping individual branches, or getting wounds and scratches up and down their forearms. A dead string of holiday lights might be a bummer when they’re permanently strung along the tree.
- If the whole tree goes out, or if a large portion that is connected to a single socket does, you will need to replace the fuse. There is a small fuse box for each string of lights, and it is typically concealed by a sliding plastic door on the light outlet. Replace any blown fuses with the spares included with the tree or with fuses purchased from a store that specializes in Christmas lighting.
- Keep an eye out for any lights that may have jarred loose from their fixtures. Although many pre-lit trees make use of light strands that continue to glow if a bulb burns out, a missing bulb will still result in a power failure. If any bulbs burn out, use the spares included with the tree or a set you pick up from a seasonal goods retailer.
- Verify the security of each bulb by testing it in its socket. Each year’s routine of setting up and taking down the tree, together with the hundreds of ornaments and other decorations, can easily loosen bulbs, causing the circuit to be broken and the strand to become exposed. After you’ve unplugged the tree and inserted each bulb into its socket (taking care not to squeeze or press too hard), try turning on the power again.
- Check the wire carefully for any frayed, cut, or damaged strands that could be the cause of the power outage and a potential fire hazard. If the electrical line is still intact inside the damaged outer layer, you can use black electrical tape to close the gap. A tree should be replaced if the inner wire is broken.
Tip
The LightKeeper Pro is just one example of a gadget designed to assist you identify which bulbs have burned out and repair damaged strings.
If a single strand fails, you can simply replace it by wrapping a new one around the tree.
Before you decorate the tree with lights and decorations, be sure they work.
Store the tree in a dry, secure location where animals can’t access the light strings after each year’s use.
Warning
If you want to avoid getting shocked while working on the light strings, unplug the tree. If you plug in the tree, only touch the shielded strands or use electrician’s gloves.