An Easy Way to Troubleshoot Lights
The first thing you should do when lights are out is to inspect the light set to see
if all the bulbs are present, are unbroken, are in tight, and plugged into an outlet
that’s working.
If your lights are not working, it may be due to a loose contact between one of the
An Easy
Way to Troubleshoot Lights
light bulbs and its husk (the plastic receptacle into which the light bulb fits). You
will need
to check your
light setSet
for a loose
bulb or contact.
What
Causes
a Light
to Fail?
A light set can fail for any of these reasons:
A light set can fail for any of these reasons:
- Internal bulb or shunt failure
• Internal bulb
or shunt
failureor missing bulb
• Poor connection at the power source
- Loose,
broken,
• Loose, broken,
or
missing
bulb
Not
replacing burnt out bulbs prior to storing
- Bad connection between the bulb and•bulb
socket
• Bad connection
between
• Blown fuse (very rare)
- Broken
wirethe
orbulb
plugand bulb socket
Poor
connection at the power source
• Broken wire- or
plug
- Not replacing burnt out bulbs prior to storing
- Blown fuse
rare)
But the most common
cause(very
by far
is internal bulb failure. Modern light sets are designed to
work evencause
if one by
or more
lights
fail asModern
illustrated
the most common
far is individual
internal bulb
failure.
lightbelow.
sets are designed to
work even if one or more individual lights fail as illustrated below.
Path of electrical flow
In this drawing, the filament in the
bulb has burned out, interrupting
the flow of electricityrequired for
the light bulb to operate.
this drawing, the filament in the bulb has burned out, interrupting the flow of electricity
Miniature light required
sets are designed
with abulb
feature
that allows current to bypass the burnt out filament. It’s
for the light
to operate
called a shunt – an aluminum wire wrapped around the two metal posts supporting the filament. If the
ture light sets are designed with a feature that allows current to bypass the burnt out
filament
is burned
currentwire
willwrapped
normallyaround
burn through
oxide
coating,
completing
ent. It’s called
a shunt
– an out,
aluminum
the two an
metal
posts
supporting
the the circuit and
illuminating
the rest
the light
set.
Light sets
must
be plugged
in and
have current
present within the set
ent. If the filament
is burned
out,ofcurrent
will
normally
burn
through
an oxide
coating,
completing
for
the
shunt
system
to
initially
work.
rcuit and illuminating the rest of the light set. Light sets must be plugged in and have current
ent within the set for the shunt system to initially work.
oxide
burnfails,
off, the
the shunt
thebe
circuit
cannot be
completed,
and the
remaining lights go
oxide fails Iftothe
burn
off, fails
the to
shunt
circuitfails,
cannot
completed,
and
the remaining
lights
out. Please
failed shunts
or stuck can
shunts
be repaired
the use
a LightKeeperPro
Pro light tester. The
t. Please note,
failednote,
or stuck
be can
repaired
with with
the use
of aofLightKeeper
way
prevent
failure
fromshunt
season
to season
is to replace
burnt is
outtobulbs
prior to taking down
tester (seebest
page
3).to The
bestshunt
way to
prevent
failure
from season
to season
replace
out bulbs and
priorstoring
to taking
your shunts
tree. This
preventdisconnected
shunts from through
becoming
yourdown
tree. and
This storing
will prevent
fromwill
becoming
the set up and take
nnected through
the
set
up
and
take
down
processes,
when
electricity
is
not
present
within
the
down processes, when electricity is not present within the sets.
a water
pipe needs
haveit;water
flow
a light
set also
a clear
as a water Just
pipeas
needs
a clear
path toa clear
have path
watertoflow
a light
setit;also
requires
a requires
clear path
to path to have
electricity electricity
flow it. The
shunt
acts
as
a
back
up
system
to
keep
a
light
set’s
electrical
circuit
flow it. The shunt acts as a back up system to keep a light set’s electrical circuit completed.
leted. The first thing you should do when lights are out is to inspect the light set to see if all the
are present, are unbroken, are in tight, and plugged into an outlet that’s working.
he quickest way to check for a loose contact is t
Run your hand over the needles of the sections where the lights are out.
tart at the base of the branch
near Way
the to
tree
trunk,
brush
your
The Quickest
Check
for aand
Loose
Contact
is: hand out toward the tip
g this you will be gently jostling the bulbs, and usually the bulb with a loose contact will cause
1. on.
Run your hand over the needles of the sections where the lights are out.
s to flicker
2. Start
at the
base of the
the tree
trunk, and
brush
your hand
toward theittip.
By doing
this is the
case,
locate
thebranch
bulbnear
that’s
creating
the
flicker
andoutreplace
with
one of the sp
this you will be gently jostling the bulbs, and usually the bulb with a loose contact will cause the lights
ded. (You to
can
find these in clear plastic packages attached to the base cords of each light se
flicker on.
tart with3.one
branch, and go from branch to branch (working left to right) using this met
If this is the case, locate the bulb that’s creating the flicker and replace it with one of the spares provided.
eeding left(You
to right
isthese
a good
topackages
keep track
can find
in clearway
plastic
attachedof
to what
the baseyou
cordshave
of eachchecked,
light set) so you don’t bec
rated looking randomly for bulbs. In some cases this method can help the electricity pres
4. Start withset
one branch,
go from branch
branch
(workingconnect
left to right) and
using this
method. the set.
in an unlighted
to getand
a stuck
shunttoto
properly
illuminate
Proceeding left to right is a good way to keep track of what you have checked, so you don’t become
looking and
randomly
for bulbs.doesn’t
In some cases
this the
method
can help the
present
with
techniquefrustrated
of brushing
replacing
solve
problem,
it’selectricity
probably
due
to one or m
in
an
unlighted
set
to
get
a
stuck
shunt
to
properly
connect
and
illuminate
the
set.
shunts. Resolving this problem can best be accomplished either by obtaining a LightKee
s
d
or by contacting
NeumanTree
through
web
www.neumantree.com
help.
If this technique
of brushing and
replacingour
doesn’t
solvesite
the problem,
it’s probably due to one orfor
more
failed shunts. Resolving this problem can best be accomplished by obtaining a Lightkeeper Pro from
LightKeeper
Pro
is an inexpensive investment that will repair shunts and locate proble
Decorator’s
Warehouse.
This tool (and replacement bulbs) will enable you to keep your tree lit for as long as you
The LightKeeper Pro is an inexpensivechoose
investmentto
that
will repair shunts
maintain
it. and locate problems. This tool
(and replacement bulbs) will enable you to keep your tree lit for as long as you
You can check out the Light Keeper Pro and find a retailer near you at:
choose to maintain it.
www.lightkeeperpro.com
s a reminder, many spare lights have been included with your tree. They may be found in sm
tic bags attached to each light set where it plugs into the extension cord at the trunk.
ommend leaving them attached so that they will not get lost and remain easily available
acement.
you have utilized all of replacement bulbs provided with your tree, NeumanTree, Inc
ghted to provide replacement bulbs for a period of 10 years from your original date
chase. Please visit our customer service page at www.neumantree.com to download