• A top reason that indoor Christmas tree lights malfunction is an overloaded electrical circuit.
  • Discard damaged bulbs promptly and replace them in order to extend the life of Christmas lights.
  • Give your string lights an end-of-the-season check-up to preclude hereafter lighting problems.
  • Visit Insider's Home & Kitchen Reference library for more stories.

Lighting and trimming an indoor Christmas tree is one of the most treasured — as well as potentially troublesome — holiday traditions. If part of that tradition is the inevitable failure of a strand of lights, there are a few easy solutions you should try before y'all toss them into the trash.

Beneath, Eddie Bello, possessor of Illuminations Holiday Lighting, and Gary McCoy, store manager for Lowe's, walk united states of america through how to troubleshoot Christmas lite bug, so yous can await frontwards to a vivid holiday flavour.

one. Bank check the circuit billow

Reset the circuit by turning the switch off and on again.
lisafx/Getty Images

When to try information technology: When none of the lights work.

If none of the bulbs in a string of Christmas lights work, and you also notice that other lights in the same section of the firm go out, you lot've likely tripped the excursion breaker, says Bello. An overloaded electrical circuit — a situation where more electric demand is placed on an outlet than it can handle — is the most common (and least serious) reason for this, he explains.

To cheque the circuit breaker, plug the lights into an electrical outlet. Next, reset the circuit breaker. To practice this, locate the labeled circuit in the metal circuit box console, which is usually establish in your home's utility room, basement, or garage.

Once you locate the circuit yous believe is tripped in the panel, move the switch all the way to the "off" position, and then to the "on" position. You can ofttimes tell which circuit was tripped because the switch will exist slightly out of alignment with the others.

If the bulbs calorie-free back up, an overloaded and tripped electrical excursion was probable your problem. This is adept news, and you don't need to practice anything further, other than taking care not to plug in multiple high-voltage electrical items simultaneously in the same area of the house.

2. Replace the fuse

String light fuses are under a small panel on the plug.
JJ Gouin/Getty Images

When to try it: When the unabridged cord won't light upward

"If yous have power coming from the outlet only your lights are not illuminating, it could exist the upshot of a diddled fuse," says Bello. Replacement fuses are often included when you purchase lights, only you can also buy them at most stores carrying holiday lights, says Bello.

To replace the fuse, slide open the hat on the back of the plug that inserts into the outlet. If the fuse is blown, i of the fuse tubes will likely appear blackness in color or accept visible burn marks, he says.

Take a small-scale tool, such as an eyeglass screwdriver, and pry out the fuses. And then, gently press in the new fuses. Close the encompass, plug the lights in, and they should piece of work.

Bello notes that if the fuse blows again, information technology is probable due to harm in the light strand. If this happens, he says you should discard the lights and supervene upon them.

3. Supervene upon burnt-out bulbs

When to try it: When individual bulbs or parts of the string won't light up

If the fuse isn't the trouble, in that location is probably a problem with a bulb, says McCoy. To fix burnt-out bulbs, untangle all string lights and check for frayed wires, damaged sockets, or broken bulbs.

Discard whatsoever damaged bulbs, and then replace them with spare ones. "Just be sure to use bulbs with the same voltage rating every bit the rest of your string lights," says McCoy.

4. Test bulbs for damage

When to effort information technology: When no bulbs are visibly damaged and the lights aren't working

If no bulbs are visibly damaged, and your lights are not working, use a seedling tester, says McCoy. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to test each bulb. Once y'all detect the faulty seedling, unplug the associated low-cal strand from the outlet and replace the faulty bulb with a new bulb. Be sure to firmly seat each seedling in its socket when replacing information technology.

Give lights a post-holiday check-upwardly

Inspect lights for any signs of harm before and afterward use.
SolStock/Getty Images

A not bad way to prevent time to come problems is to test your lights at the end of the season, says McCoy. As you accept downwards each strand of lights, replace whatever burnt-out or broken bulbs. Throw away strands with broken or frayed cords. When it'due south time to trim the tree next year, your lights should all exist working.

Insider's takeaway

Christmas lite issues tin can quickly drain the joy out of your holiday decorating happiness. Tripped circuit breakers, diddled fuses, and burnt-out bulbs are the most common problems, and thankfully, each one has a simple fix.

Before yous pack your Christmas decorations away at the stop of the season, give your string lights a post-holiday checkup. That manner, you'll await frontwards to a bright and problem-free vacation adjacent twelvemonth.

A consumer-focused announcer with 20 years of experience, Jackie Perrin has covered habitation, wellness, parenting, food, travel, and business organization topics for publications ranging from TripAdvisor to Gannett News Service.