Like the incandescent strings before them, the LED strings have a fuse in series with each side of the AC line, located in the plug. Usually there is a trap-door in the plug to open and access the fuses, or there may be a section that pulls out. Quite often these are hard to open.
Reasons often include a faulty power supply, loose connections, a faulty circuit design, or even damage due to water ingress caused by rain. Whatever the reason is for your LED lights not working and whatever the tell-tale signs are, there's usually a solution to the issue.
Check the Fuses
Strands of traditional and LED holiday lights usually have cartridge fuses.
Yes, for LEDs connected to mains. Fuse protects against fire caused by shorts in wiring, fixture, etc.
If the fuse blown for some reason then there is no current flow through open fuse, then here the current flow occurs through Resistor and LED only, so the LED starts to glow (that is ON) by the way it indicates the blown fuse.
Easiest way to see if it is damaged is to connect it to a battery and see if it lights up. The difficulty is that you can't disassemble the the white plastic unit, so if the LED does not light, the connection wires, resistor or LED itself may be damaged.
In most cases, it's completely safe to change a light fitting yourself. However, always assess the setting. If you're looking to change a light bulb in a higher risk area like a bathroom or kitchen, hiring an electrician is your safest option.
To begin with, make sure that your LED light is plugged into an outlet. Next, press and hold the button on top of the power cord for at least 10 seconds. After this time has elapsed, release the button and wait approximately one minute for it to turn off automatically before unplugging it from its outlet.
But just like other electrical devices, led lights also require electrical repair and replacement from time to time. LEDs are not immune to being faulty, after years of service, they will bust eventually. Replacement is the only option to fix this.
If half a strand is working and the other half is not, you probably have a loose or broken bulb. Start with the first unlit bulb and work your way down, wiggling them to check for looseness. If it flickers, that's your cue to replace it.
They Don't Burn Out
LED bulbs don't burn out like regular bulbs, which simply stop working abruptly when they run out of power. Instead, LED bulbs slowly degrade over time. After several years, their brightness dims.
The average lifespan of an LED is often rated up to 50,000 hours. This is about 50 times longer than a typical incandescent, 20-25 times longer than a typical halogen and 8-10 times longer than a typical CFL. If used 12 hours a day, an LED rated at 50,000 hours will last more than 11 years.
There are a number of basic reasons for LED lights to fail but the primary issue is heat. Over-heating can be a result of a number of design and assembly issues but is still the cause of the majority of LED lamp failures – both in the fitting themselves and also the drivers.
The most common reasons for LED blowing out are high voltage, bad contacts, use of incompatible dimmer switch, or recessed lighting. Other causes include overheating due to not using the right fixtures, or simply a bad batch of light bulbs!
The most common cause of flickering LED lights is a poorly matched LED power supply, otherwise known as a LED driver. LED lights either require a constant current LED driver or constant voltage LED driver. There is no hard and fast rule as to what type of input certain types of LED lights require.
What damage might incorrect polarity cause? If LEDs are reverse-connected to a sufficiently low voltage supply it is possible that they will simply conduct no current, emit no light and suffer no damage.
While first generation LED lighting fixtures were basically your standard incandescent or fluorescent housing retrofitted with LED light boards, manufacturers have now begun designing fixtures around the LEDs. The result is an integrated fixture where lamps are not serviceable or replaceable.
Changing a light bulb is easy and LED lights are no exception! If you've got recessed lighting, you may be wondering if you can replace the bulb yourself. The answer is yes—you don't need to call an electrician. Most recessed lights have a cover and trim attached so you pull out the entire unit and replace it.
A great benefit to LED bulbs is you can repair almost everything. Premature burnouts can be caused by poor component quality, LED overheating, and voltage jumps. The good news is that you don't have to have a lot of experience to handle the repair and the cost is significantly less than the price of a new bulb.
If LED lighting heats up, it will stop working. The limited cooling of retrofit bulbs reduces their life span. Moreover, switching the light on and off frequently will not help improve the number of burning-hours. All things considered, the average life span of an LED bulb is currently around 20,000 - 25,000 hours.
LED bulbs afford in the region of 50,000 hours of light, with some brands boasting as many as 100,000 hours. In general, terms, if you use your lights for 10 hours each day, LEDs should serve you well for just shy of 14 years.