How To Check Christmas Lights With A Multimeter

For this one requires a multimeter and of course the led to be tested.

How to check christmas lights with a multimeter.

Sometimes a couple of bulbs or the entire light string doesn t light up when you plug the cord into a power outlet. You will end up having two probes plugged in the multimeter. Place the probes of your digital multimeter at both ends of the power plug. How does it work.

Only measure resistance with circuit de energised you and your dmm don t like volts applied. 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. A decent mid range multimeter will likely cost between 50 100 usd. In this section we ll see how to test leds and measure resistance.

When this happens use a non contact voltage detector to determine exactly which light bulb is faulty. Christmas lights are wired to stay lit even if one of the bulbs burns out. 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. On the male plug touch the remaining multimeter probe into one of the prongs.

After learning about the basic details of an led the next step for any aspiring robot or electronic circuit builder is to learn about how to test an led which is much the same as the method used to test any diode with a multimeter. 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. Set up the multimeter to measure the resistance in your christmas tree lights by following the manufacturer s instructions.

To test led lights you will need a multimeter with a diode setting. After the setup is correctly followed a forward voltage drop will be displayed. 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.