Christmas lights stop working mainly because of an electrical issue or the set going out. Issues that can cause a set to stop working prematurely include missing or loose bulbs, a blown fuse, socket corrosion, or circuit breaker overload.

The most common reason for LED Christmas lights to stop working is a missing or loose bulb. When a bulb is missing or loose from its socket, the electrical current between lights is broken, cutting off the rest of the lights from power. The lights will work again when the bulb is placed correctly and makes contact with the socket. High quality LED Christmas lights are manufactured with a one-piece bulb and socket construction that prevents this issue. In a one-piece design, bulbs do not fall out or come loose.

A blown fuse is another reason for Christmas lights to stop working. Fuses can blow due to electrical overload or damage to the light string. Electrical current carries heat, and the stronger the current, the more heat. Too much electrical current can melt the wires in the light string and even cause them to catch fire. The fuse will burn out when the current exceeds what the fuse is rated to handle, breaking the circuit and saving the wires in your light string. If your entire Christmas lights string doesn’t work, check the fuse by opening the small door on the plug. A telltale sign of a blown fuse is a broken or burnt metal filament in the cylinder. If the fuse doesn’t appear to be blown, you can test it with a multimeter, or replace the fuse and see if the lights still turn on.

Corrosion can be a major issue that causes Christmas lights to stop working in outdoor installs. Corrosion occurs at the socket from exposure to moisture and builds up to interfere with contact between bulb and socket. Corroded sockets can either be cleaned or replaced.

Christmas lights may not appear to be working if they don’t receive power after a breaker trips. In most cases, a circuit breaker trips due to an overloaded circuit. If this is the case, decrease the power draw from the outlet, switch your lighting to another outlet on a different circuit, or spread your power usage across multiple outlets in different areas. Unplug any unnecessary devices or appliances. And if you’re using incandescent lights, this is a great reason to switch to LED Christmas lights! LED lights use far less energy so that you can connect more lights together.

Consider upgrading to pro-grade! Avoid bulbs coming loose or falling out, and see how great LED Christmas lights can look when you try from our collection of LED Christmas lights.