Relighting the Pre-Lit Tree

[Jeff Westover]

Two Christmases ago we purchased a very expensive and lovely flocked pre-lit tree and we just loved it.

The kids want to drag it out and get it up and I've been dreading it because last Christmas we had an issue with entire sections of the tree not being lit up. We need to replace the bulbs or something.

I'm not looking forward to trouble shooting this because the flocked tree is really messy and, of course, this is going to take valuable time.

Anyone got any tips for re-lighting a pre-lit tree?

[JayIsh]

Ya gotta buy one of those guns that they sell on QVC!!! I bought one last year at Home Depot! It has a battery inside that somehow frees up jams in the wiring that break the current causing those sections to go out! It cost about twenty dollars but it was the best twenty Christmas dollars I've ever spent!!! You pull out a bulb failry close to the outage, plug the socket into the socket on the gun, pull the trigger a few times and whamo! The lights come back on!!!

Pure Genius!

[Jeff Westover]

Your first sentence there almost sounded like my only hope was to shoot myself!

[Jeff Westover]

Does it actually go "whamo?" I gotta get me one of these...

[dvdguy]

"whammo!"

[Jeff Westover]

Man, if it's that good I just might use it on lights that are working. Does it come with a holster?

[dominick]

Pre-lit trees are not my favorite thing in the world to deal with. A lot of them I see are wired with disproportionately inferior light strands that develop breaks with very little use. Tracking the breaks down is a nightmare, although that gun would give you a fighting chance... it's basically an inductive ohmmeter.

Several years ago I had to de-strand 8 of them for the pizza place I was working for at the time when I stupidly expressed interest in doing the decorating. The easiest way to do it is to cut everywhere and pull it out in 100 little pieces. Don't try to use scissors or a knife, either... you'll just get frustrated. If you don't have some already, run to the hardware store and buy some small wire cutters.

[Jeff Westover]

I have a blow torch I'm ready to use on this. The flocking is on top of all the wiring making an incredible mess. The tree looks fabulous when lit-- it looks like yesterday's cool whip when it's not. I'm almost ready to just trash the thing and get a new one.

[dominick]

I have three of them in my attic because of people that made the same decision.

[Maureen]

"whammo!"

If it goes "Thwack" and "Ka-pow"as well, then Holy Shopping Channel, Batman, I gotta get one too!!!!!!!:lol:

[joyful]

Thanks you all have confirmed what I was thinking about those pre-lit trees. I know they don't stay lit forever and I figured it must be a pain to fix when they won't light.

I sure hope you get it fixed for it sounds like you really like the tree.

:)

[JayIsh]

Well...It really only goes click, click click...But I yell WHAMO each time I pull the trigger...It's one of those inducto thingamabobs that Domenick talks about!

If you whistle the song from that old Clint Eastwood movie as you pull the gun out, it adds effect also...

Good luck with it though...I always say that it's not Christmas until the cursing begins...That was usually due to trying to get the tree in the stand and have it actually be straight...But lights are a close second...

[Sunshine73]

YIKES! I know that this is absolutely no help to you whatsoever, but, this is going into my ever expanding column of reasons why I don't want a pre-lit tree.

Definitley hope you get the light situation sorted! :sparkle:

[Annette1990]

I had the same problem with my prelit tree last year too Jeff. Yes one of those light guns will really help. I bought mine from Ace Hardware. It works two different ways...you can clip/touch around the bulb or pull a bulb out and stick it in this slot and if it lights up put it back in and head to the next one. It actually works pretty good. And not very expensive to buy..I gave like 12-15 for mine.

[JanaBanana]

I must get me one of those "Whamo guns" to add to my gun collection :)

[dominick]

...and when that doesn't work to get the thing working again, you can use the trusty 12ga on it to make yourself feel better.

[JayIsh]

It's like havin' Harry Potter's wand at Christmas!!!

You can be the Annie Oakley of the Christmas Tree...I think somewhere you mentioned that you love to shoot...It's not as cool as a real gun, but pretty darn close!!!

[dominick]

Shooting is good times indeed.

[JanaBanana]

Oh yeah love to shoot :) I shot my first buck this hunting season.... My husband is an avid shooter/hunter. He competes in Sniper Competitions.

[Jeff Westover]

Ok, I fixed my problem. Bought a new, non-pre-lit tree. And I've got the kind of lights I want on it in addition to all the little white lights. Problem solved.

[dominick]

Oh yeah love to shoot :) I shot my first buck this hunting season.... My husband is an avid shooter/hunter. He competes in Sniper Competitions.

I'm not much of a hunter. Generally requires more patience than I have. I do love a day at the range, though.

Ok, I fixed my problem. Bought a new, non-pre-lit tree. And I've got the kind of lights I want on it in addition to all the little white lights. Problem solved.

There ya' go. What'd you do with the pre lit? Goodwill?

[Maebeary]

Uh-oh! I bought a pre-lit tree last January. I hope it at least gives us a couple of years. I only paid $25.00 for it but it's scary to read these posts! Here's hoping!

[Scot Meyers]

Jeff,
MERRY CHRISTmas!!

you can get a Lightkeeper PRO. its battery powered you lus plug the lights in and then clkick and hold the trigger it will beep until you find the break and can repair it.

it is about 90% effective

NOW if you want to spend the $$(like ME) GET a HIGH VOLTAGE TESTER from my friend Brad Finkel at Creative Decorating.

http://www.creativedecoratinginc.com/commercial-light-testers/


THIS BABY IS WORTH THE $$!!
I have one and will never get rid of it. the Techy's on PLanet Christmas all have one IT'S a MUST HAVE Tool for mini lights

[Annette1990]

Jeff,
MERRY CHRISTmas!!

you can get a Lightkeeper PRO. its battery powered you lus plug the lights in and then clkick and hold the trigger it will beep until you find the break and can repair it.

it is about 90% effective

NOW if you want to spend the $$(like ME) GET a HIGH VOLTAGE TESTER from my friend Brad Finkel at Creative Decorating.

http://www.creativedecoratinginc.com/commercial-light-testers/


THIS BABY IS WORTH THE $$!!
I have one and will never get rid of it. the Techy's on PLanet Christmas all have one IT'S a MUST HAVE Tool for mini lights
Yes I also have a lightkeeper pro...and one other one...they both work great. Thats a pretty fancy one you have Scot...you must have tons of lights indoors and out I am assuming?

[Scot Meyers]

I have about 10,000 bulbs in my display

[jrk32]

I have about 10,000 bulbs in my display
GREAT DISPLAY YOU HAVE SCOT.DID YOU SELL IT.I LOVE THE TRAIN.LONG TIME NO SEE I DIDNT KNOW YOU WERE A MEMBER HERE.SMALL WORLD.

TAKE CARE.

JOHN:snowball:

[Scot Meyers]

GREAT DISPLAY YOU HAVE SCOT.DID YOU SELL IT.I LOVE THE TRAIN.LONG TIME NO SEE I DIDNT KNOW YOU WERE A MEMBER HERE.SMALL WORLD.

TAKE CARE.

JOHN:snowball:

HEY John!!
no i did not sell it.
The train is getting finished. for 2008. 2 new cars that i started in 07 I plan on finishing for 2008.

Now to the topic at hand...
I would not recomend a pre lit tree EVER! because of the possibilty of electrical failure makes them so frustrating to repair that then end up being an environemental Nightmare as many of then end up on the curb for mister trash man to pick up. I rescue so many trees and take out the pre lit lights and recycle the lights and Give away the trees to needy people.

My advice... (and will never change)

Buy a non lit tree and put your own lights in that way when they fail you can take them out to garage try toi fix or replace the failed strand or if you want to convert to led you dont have to buy a whole new tree.