Christmas Light Bulb Guide

Question: How many people does it take to change a Christmas light bulb?

Answer: Just one. A person who knows what they’re doing.

Here’s the lowdown on Christmas light bulbs to save you from a festive headache this year.

Know Your Bulbs

Do you know your C7s from your LEDs? If not, here’s what you need to know.

C7 & C9 Lights

These larger, more robust 5 to 10 watt bulbs have been around for a while and are mainly used as outdoor lights.

Because of the high levels of heat these bulbs produce, it isn’t advisable to use them indoors.

A big advantage of the old-fashioned C7 & C9 bulbs, is that they’re wired parallel to each other, meaning that if one bulb goes it won’t effect any of the others.

Mini Lights

Invented in the 1970s, Mini Lights remain the most popular type of bulbs for festive decorations, both inside and outside the home.

They use much smaller bulbs than C7s and C9s (only 2.5 watts), making them cheaper to run and more environmentally friendly.

Unfortunately, the original Mini Lights were wired in a series, meaning that when one bulb blew or came loose, the whole lot went out. However,  later versions use what’s known as an ‘internal shunt’ to ensure the problem no longer occurs.

LED Lights

Light Emitting Diodes or LEDs are the modern way to light up your home at Christmas.

Despite only being tiny, LED Christmas lights are built strong and can last well in excess of 20 years.

They also use far less electricity than Mini Lights, making them even more environmentally and economically friendly.

Locate the Problem

If one bulb goes out out on your Christmas lights, it’s easy enough to buy a replacement bulb and fix the problem.

However, if all the lights have gone out, there’s a couple of things that could be causing the issue.

Check the Fuse

Checking the fuse hasn’t blown is a good idea. You can do this by carefully unscrewing the plug and pulling out the fuse.

Examine the inside and if you see the small thin wire connecting the two ends is broken then the fuse is blown. Similarly if it a small tubular bulb fuse you can see if the filament inside is connected or broken.

It’s worth noting that many sets of Christmas lights include a spare fuse, as this is a common problem, especially when multiple strings of lights have been connected together.

Check the Connections

As previously mentioned, some Christmas lights are wired in a series, meaning that if one bulb is loose or blown, then none of the lights will come on.

Turn the power off, ensure all of the bulbs are firmly in place and try switching them on again. You might find that one loose bulb was causing the problem.

If one of the bulbs has blown, then the problem is slightly more difficult to solve. You need to locate the faulty bulb, which is difficult to do without being able to turn the lights on. Fortunately, you can buy a Christmas light tester, which is purpose-built for this one job.

Buying Replacement Bulbs

Hunting down the replacement bulbs you need for your Christmas lights can be an arduous task. Fortunately, Snowtime have a fantastic range of Spare  Bulbs to save you from traipsing around.

Make sure you check the box that your Christmas lights came in, as spares are often supplied, which might well save you the added expense. The packaging should also tell you exactly what kind of bulbs you need to get, which saves you the job of having to find out.

But if you no longer have the original box or can’t find the information, fear not.

Most sets of 10 mini lights require 12 volt replacement bulbs to light up properly. Sets of 20 require 6 volt bulbs and sets of 35 and up need 2.5 volts. Make sure you have one of the original bulbs with you, so you can find a replacement that’s the correct style and size.

Changing a Christmas Light Bulb

Like anything to do with electricity, make sure you take special care when changing a bulb on your Christmas lights. Here’s a step by step:

1. Turn the power off and unplug your Christmas lights.
2. Grip the bulb by it’s plastic base and carefully maneuver it out of it’s socket.
3. You should now be able to separate the bulb from it’s base by bending the wire at the bottom of the bulb, until they’re straight.
4. Now slip the replacement bulb into the base and bend the wire at the bottom to fasten it in place.
5. Finally, reinsert the base with the new bulb into the socket, making sure the wires line up with the contacts.