How to Fix Broken Holiday Lights

• Option 1: Plug in the Lights. You can tell if fuses are blown by first plugging the light set into an outlet and seeing if any lights go on. If none of the lights on the strand light up, take a set of lights that are working and plug them into the outlet end of the broken lights. The fuses are not the problem if the good lights still light up.
• Option 2: Use a Voltage Tester. Another option for checking the fuses is to use a contactless voltage tester. Put the voltage tester into both openings of the plug. The tester lighting up and/or beeping means the fuses are not out. No activity means you need new fuses.
• Option 3: Use a Holiday Light Tester to Check Fuses. Pry the fuses out of the plug with your utility knife or screwdriver. These fuses are small glass capsules that fit in tight, so be careful getting them out. Next, place the fuses into the fitting at the top of the tester. If the fuses work, a light on the tester will turn on.

• Replace the fuse. Start by prying out the bad fuse with a utility knife or screwdriver. MAKE SURE the lights are unplugged to avoid electrical shock.
• Push in the replacement fuse. Use that same utility knife or screwdriver. Take care not to break the new fuses when putting them in.
• If the fuses are not the issue, move on to step 3.

• First check if all the lights on the string are out. If only a section of lights is out, you may be able to use a holiday light tester to send a pulse to fix a faulty shunt.
• Remove a bulb from the burnt-out section and insert the bulb’s socket into the holiday light tester.
• Give the trigger of the light tester a few clicks to get the lights going again.

• If the fuses aren’t the issue and sending a pulse doesn’t help, you may need to check for a bad bulb. This is easy to determine using the holiday light tester.
• Hold down the trigger of the tester while moving it over each bulb on the burnt-out section of lights.
• If the tester doesn’t light up from a particular bulb, that’s the one you’ll need to replace.

• Pull out the bad bulb with the plastic case. Some replacement bulbs come attached to the base.
• If not, straighten the wires on the new bulb and thread them through the two slots on the base, then smooth the wires down.
• Slide the bulb and case into the light set where the faulty bulb sat.

You’ve tried all the steps, and you still can’t get the lights up and running. That could mean you need a new light set.

If you notice frayed wires, you might have a rodent problem, as mice and squirrels have been known to chew on electrical wiring. We recommend replacing the lights in this case to avoid the risk of shock or a fire.