One of the most exciting aspects of the holiday season is seeing the brightly colored lights and extravagant displays people place on and around their homes and businesses. However, exposure to inclement weather, age and various technical issues can cause these lights to fail, especially when opting for the products you find at the local big-box or home improvement store.
If your store-bought holiday lights aren’t working, you’ll need to identify and fix the cause. Perfect Power Wash has identified several typical problems and how you can attempt to correct them.
1. Lights Won’t Turn On
Have you flipped the switch to your lights only for nothing to happen? Faulty wiring or a blown fuse may be the problem, which you can rectify by upgrading the damaged component. If only one or two bulbs aren’t working, a quick replacement should do the trick.
2. Inconsistent Lighting
Your lighting might look spotty. One faulty bulb can sometimes disrupt an entire string, which you can correct with a bulb replacement. Other potential causes to check for and fix include damaged wiring, blown fuses, overloaded circuits and old, worn lighting that has reached the end of its useful life.
3. Overheating Lights
Stringing too many strings together or using older or damaged products, especially incandescent bulbs, can cause your lights to overheat. You can correct this common holiday lights problem by limiting the number of strands or upgrading to cooler LED bulbs.
4. Flickering Lights
Lights that blink constantly can result from loose connections or intermittent voltage fluctuations. You can attempt to fix this issue by checking and tightening the connections or ensuring the electrical outlets and circuits are functioning correctly.
5. Weather-Related Issues
Moisture from snow or rain can get into your lighting’s connections and cause a malfunction. Strong winds and extreme temperatures can also impact the lights’ performance. A professional installation of waterproof lighting can reduce the risk of weather problems.
6. Tangled Lights
Improperly stored lights can result in tangled strings. To untangle them, lay the strings out on the floor and gently work the plug at the end of the cord through the knots. You can use a pen or pencil to loosen stubborn tangles. Arranging the lights on a hanger or wrapping them around a cylindrical object when storing can prevent future tangling.
7. Shortened Life Span
Weather, excessive use, improper storage and poor-quality products can all contribute to reduced lighting life. Some steps that can help them last longer include implementing timers to limit usage, investing in higher-quality LED lighting products and storing them properly at the end of the season.
Consider the Perfect Power Wash Holiday Lighting Alternative
If you’d prefer to avoid these time-consuming holiday light troubleshooting and repair tasks, Perfect Power Wash has the solution. We can install high-quality commercial-grade lights that last for years, require minimal maintenance and look fantastic.
We’re also experts at fixing holiday light issues for the products we install. We will maintain and repair your lights throughout the season — even for minor tasks like replacing burnt-out bulbs. We can also provide a free lighting installation estimate when you complete a form or call 866-289-8224.
