How To Check Christmas Lights With A Multimeter

How does it work.

How to check christmas lights with a multimeter.

Set up the multimeter to measure the resistance in your christmas tree lights by following the manufacturer s instructions. Only measure resistance with circuit de energised you and your dmm don t like volts applied. 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. 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.

You will end up having two probes plugged in the multimeter. But this doesn t always happen. 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. After the setup is correctly followed a forward voltage drop will be displayed.

When this happens use a non contact voltage detector to determine exactly which light bulb is faulty. If your christmas lights are fine the next step includes checking the power plug. A decent mid range multimeter will likely cost between 50 100 usd. On the male plug touch the remaining multimeter probe into one of the prongs.

To test led lights you will need a multimeter with a diode setting. 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. Sometimes a couple of bulbs or the entire light string doesn t light up when you plug the cord into a power outlet. 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.

The unit of resistance is ohm symbol ω. In this section we ll see how to test leds and measure resistance. In one of the female socket insert one of your multimeter probes.