How To Check Christmas Lights With A Multimeter

But this doesn t always happen.

How to check christmas lights with a multimeter.

After the setup is correctly followed a forward voltage drop will be displayed. You will end up having two probes plugged in the multimeter. In this section we ll see how to test leds and measure resistance. Christmas lights are wired to stay lit even if one of the bulbs burns out.

On the male plug touch the remaining multimeter probe into one of the prongs. To test led lights you will need a multimeter with a diode setting. The joy of a beautifully lit home can quickly turn to frustration when a burned out bulb or two render an entire string of lights dark. How does it work.

Check online or at your local hardware store for mid to high range multimeters which are more likely to have this feature than inexpensive models. Set up the multimeter to measure the resistance in your christmas tree lights by following the manufacturer s instructions. Sometimes a couple of bulbs or the entire light string doesn t light up when you plug the cord into a power outlet. In some cases a faulty power plug is the main culprit for the absence of the current in the string of lights and identifying this problem early can save you a lot of time.

In one of the female socket insert one of your multimeter probes. Place the probes of your digital multimeter at both ends of the power plug. When this happens use a non contact voltage detector to determine exactly which light bulb is faulty. If your christmas lights are fine the next step includes checking the power plug.

For this one requires a multimeter and of course the led to be tested. Only measure resistance with circuit de energised you and your dmm don t like volts applied. A multimeter provides a convenient way quickly to find the dead bulbs that will need to be replaced in order to restore your holiday decorations to their fully lit glory.