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12/03/2010 12:35:11 PM · #1 |
Ok, this has absolutely nothing to do with photography, but all of the smartest people I know are right here ;)
I have a string of LED Christmas lights on the upper part of my house, and one of the bulbs fell out sometime between last year and this year. I didn't even realize that the LED bulbs *could* come out, but sure enough, one fell out and it was too small for me to locate anywhere.
I bought a replacement bulb at our hardware store, but it's not a perfect fit so it isn't staying consistently connected, and it's actually colored differently than the rest of the string... so when it's off, there's a portion of that strand that doesn't light and it looks dumb. And when it's on, that bulb is a different color than the rest of the bunch, so it still looks dumb.
Couldn't I just remove the bulb entirely, and solder the two wires together so the electric is bridged there? That way the rest of the strand will remain lit, and just that one bulb will be out? I'm obviously no electrician, but I just wanted to see if that would be a simple solution to the problem...? |
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12/03/2010 12:42:56 PM · #2 |
Soldering the two wires together sounds like it would work to me.
...but then all of my outlets look like this:
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12/03/2010 12:58:10 PM · #3 |
I would solder it, or if you don't have a soldering iron, you could cut that socket out and splice it back up with only a few twists and tape. That way you could close the gap of the missing bulb.
Take into account that when I do electrical work at home I'm too lazy to figure out which breaker runs the part of the house I'm in, so I just pull the bare wires out of the wall/ceiling and flip the breaker by shorting the wires with a screwdriver. Dodging flying balls of molten metal is a good way to keep my reflexes top-notch. |
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12/03/2010 12:59:31 PM · #4 |
| LOL - this reminds me of when I was a teenager and used to strip live wires with my teeth. |
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12/03/2010 01:38:59 PM · #5 |
| In my experience, there is usually a break somewhere else. Walmart has lights cheap. I'd just go get a new set. |
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12/03/2010 01:42:29 PM · #6 |
you could just crumple up some aluminum foil and smash it inside, wrap it in electrical tape.
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12/03/2010 01:49:46 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by Strikeslip:
I would solder it, or if you don't have a soldering iron, you could cut that socket out and splice it back up with only a few twists and tape. That way you could close the gap of the missing bulb. |
Hmph... that's not a bad idea at all. I do have a soldering iron and everything, but I'm not too enthusiastic about doing all of this on a snow-covered roof. That sounds like a pretty simple solution. I hadn't thought about the aluminum foil idea, either... which sounds pretty nice, too.
Message edited by author 2010-12-03 13:50:25. |
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12/03/2010 02:17:05 PM · #8 |
| Climb, climb, snip, snip, twist, twist tape, tape, done! Thanks for the help :) |
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12/03/2010 02:18:27 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by alanfreed:
I hadn't thought about the aluminum foil idea, either... which sounds pretty nice, too. |
Do consider the possible difference in resistance between the bulb and the foil -- I would cut out the socket and splice the wires as a first choice technique.
ETA: I did write this before your post ... ;-)
Good choice though!
Message edited by author 2010-12-03 14:19:40. |
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12/03/2010 02:32:15 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by alanfreed:
Climb, climb, snip, snip, twist, twist tape, tape, done! Thanks for the help :) |
I'm confused - did you fix the lights or get a vasectomy? |
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12/03/2010 03:06:06 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by alanfreed:
I hadn't thought about the aluminum foil idea, either... which sounds pretty nice, too. |
Do consider the possible difference in resistance between the bulb and the foil -- I would cut out the socket and splice the wires as a first choice technique.
ETA: I did write this before your post ... ;-)
Good choice though! |
actually you only need to compare the resistance to the copper wire. aluminum is comparable to gold as far as resistance goes, both metals are very conductive.
you just dont want to use a metal with a high resistance that causes it to heat up. |
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12/03/2010 04:05:58 PM · #12 |
Here's another handy tip from Slippy's book of electrical tips:
To get a three-pronged (grounded) plug to fit into a two slot (ungrounded) receptacle, just snip the third, round, contact off the plug with pliers.
Or, use a two-pronged extension cord into the wall, carve the safety guard off the end of the receiving end of the cord, and plug your three-prong plug in so the grounding prong hangs outside, where you've carved the piece off. |
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12/03/2010 05:33:45 PM · #13 |
| Both handy tips Slippy! Who carries the fire insurance on your house? |
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12/03/2010 05:40:38 PM · #14 |
| Soldering it will work. They also make black-out caps that fit over the lights that you want to hide. Might be a safer solution. |
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12/03/2010 06:43:19 PM · #15 |
Better yet, help the environment by not using Christmas lights.
It helps the environment by not wasting electricity, and it's much safer for you because you don't have to climb up there to hang the lights.
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12/03/2010 06:50:16 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by Art Roflmao:
Soldering the two wires together sounds like it would work to me.
...but then all of my outlets look like this:
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Ahh they aren't supose to look like that?????????????????? |
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