When it is Christmas there are lights everywhere. It is the best time of the year.

But with lights there come some technical issues. Sometimes these lights especially the Christmas tree light won’t glow. Sometimes half of the lights glow and half do not, and so many issues like this.

Well, at the end of this article you will be able:

  • Test any given Christmas incandescent lights
  • How to use the best Christmas light tester out there on the market
  • Fix some light issues yourself

Sounds interesting? Then let’s get started.

Best Christmas light tester

You know the lights used for Christmas trees are of the incandescent type. By incandescent, I mean these lights have small filaments inside them.

All these lights are joined together by long wires.

Now, the following are the main issues that can arise:

  • There is a problem with the wires
  • There is a problem with the individual light bulb
  • There is a problem with the light sockets
  • There is a problem with light fuses
  • There is a problem with the proper voltage and current levels.

See the following diagram for your reference.

Best Christmas light tester
Christmas lights

Alright!

To handle the above issues we need some kind of testing tool called the Christmas light tester.

The best Christmas light testers out there on the market are the LightKeeper Pro and LED Keeper. They are the best because they are of high quality, are easy to use, and have a decent price tag that anyone can afford.

Let’s first talk about these tools, and then we will go over how to use them to fix the above issues.

LightKeeper Pro

LightKeeper pro is a very simple tool and comes from a proven brand. Thousands of people have used this tool and have had amazing results.

best Christmas light tester lightkeeper pro

Important features:

  • Lightweight
  • Easy to use, no need for a manual
  • Fixes shunt issues with few triggers
  • Can test the individual light bulbs
  • Can test the fuse
  • Can check the voltage around the wire to see if there is any discontinuity

In a short summary, LightKeeper pro (Amazon link) is a remarkable Christmas light tester to buy. It is reliable, making it a one time purchase.

LED Keeper

The above tester is best for lights. But when it comes to LED lights the above one fails. We need a separate tool that can test the LED stripes and lights as well.

Therefore, we require a tool called the LED Keeper.

It is from the same brand as the above one. It is high quality and very easy to use.

Best christmas LED tester

Important features:

  • Fixes LED Light Sets
  •  PODs included assisting with socket issues
  • The PODs were not designed to illuminate but are necessary for the repair of the LED set in order to maintain the electrical balance.

In a short summary, the LED Keeper (Amazon link) is a must tool during the Christmas season or for any decoration. This tester saves you time and money. No more throwing your light sets and pre-lit decors away.

How to use the Christmas light tester

Now that we know about the best Christmas light testers out there. It is the right time to know how to properly use them.

Testing Christmas incandescent lights

As I shared above, incandescent light is one that has a small filament inside it. This filament upon application of voltages heats up and gives us various colors of light.

Following is the method to use the tester for all the issues that you encounter while decorating your tree.

For bulb testing: There is a testing slot on the top of the LightKeeper Pro. Put your build there and press the test button. If the bulb is good it will glow. Else you have a bad bulb, replace it right away.

For shunt issues: Take away any of the bulbs. Put the socket in the tester. Press the trigger a few times, and you will see the issue.

Wire issue: LightKeeper has a voltage detection option. Move your tester over the wire. The tester will stop the beep sounds once it finds there is no voltage. That spot is the bad one.

For fuse issue: For fuse testing, lightKeeper pro has a section on the top side. Put your fuse there, and press the test button. You will see a bulb turn on. If the build turns on it means you have a good fuse, else you have a bad fuse.

Testing Christmas LED lights

Now, LED lights are different from the above ones. They glow only in one direction.

I mean for an LED light to glow, you must connect it in forward bias mode. The forward bias mode is when you connect the positive of the LED to the positive of the voltage source and the negative of the light to the negative of your given voltage source.

Following is the effective way to test LED lights and how to fix them using the LED Keeper tool.

Please be safe and careful when working with electricity.

If you can’t use the tester with full confidence then don’t use it at all. I would say wear some isolated gloves as well. They will keep your hands from bare unseen wires.

Conclusion

Christmas is around the corner. We love to decorate trees and our homes. We buy a bunch of new LED lights or try to use the old ones if we have one.

The problem with old lights or generally speaking is that sometimes they don’t work, sometimes half glows and half don’t, and a bunch of similar issues like these.

To tackle these issues, we need to have the best Christmas light tester in our homes. What does this tester do? It helps us find the bad bulb, shunt, and bad wire section.

Now for a good tester following are some things to consider:

  • It must be of high quality
  • Easy to use
  • Has bulb testing mechanism
  • Has fuse testing feature
  • Has shunt fixing capability
  • Voltage detection feature

Alright!

If the lights are of incandescent nature. We need to have a tester for these separately. And such a tool is called the lightKeeper pro.

If the lights are of an LED nature then a good LED tester like LEDKeeper is required. Both these testers are from the same brand and are very easy to use.

So that is it. That is all I want to share about some best Christmas light testers. I hope you enjoyed it.

Thank you and have grateful life.

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