Keep Those Christmas Lights Running!

Decorating your home or business is a tradition of the holiday season, and nothing makes the décor pop like bright and colorful Christmas lights.

But sometimes, one bad bulb can spoil the bunch. Before you toss the struggling strand, test it so you can repair each bad light and avoid having to replace the whole set. One of the best and simplest tools for this purpose is a Christmas light tester.

The testers are designed to detect voltage problems along the light string so you can pinpoint exactly which bulb(s) are malfunctioning and replace them quickly. You can check how your lights are functioning in several ways.

First, plug in the light strand in question. Then, point the tester at each bulb, holding the trigger down. Depending on the model of tester, it will either beep, or an LED display will confirm that there is voltage going to that particular bulb.

To try to repair a nonfunctional light, remove the bad bulb (leave the light set plugged in), and connect the shunt of the bulb into the appropriate slot on the tester and squeeze the trigger several times. This will help clear any possible corrosion, so the bulb connection is almost new.

Another way a tester is helpful is that you can test individual bulbs right on the device itself. Remove the bulb and insert it into the built-in tester to see if that particular bulb is good. You can use the fuse tester slot on the device to test individual fuses and make sure they are operational.

Ace Hardware in Dixon carries the LightKeeper Pro: to view this helpful tool in action, check out this informational video.

To find more Christmas decorating tips and get the right items to make your home or office festive this holiday season, stop in, visit our website, or call us at 815-288-7841.

Ace Hardware & Outdoor Center

900 N Galena Ave

Dixon, IL 61021