# Fixing Christmas Tree Lights



## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

I tell friends, family, and customers that I do not touch Christmas lights. Go buy new LED lights. If they don't work, buy new ones.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

I told all my friends and coworkers that I changed vocations..

I'm an undertaker now and it's been years since anyone asked for a favor..


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## Helmut (May 7, 2014)

jelhill said:


> You probably have friends that call you all the time wanting advice regarding their electrical problems, I certainly do.


I tell them I don't do residential.

Saves friendships.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Helmut said:


> I tell them I don't do residential.
> 
> Saves friendships.


I used to tell people that when I did commercial work as my full-time job. Believe it or not, some of them still got pissy. They acted like I could do their resi work, but that I just didn't want to.

Well, that's true, and there is nothing I hate more than someone who tries to push me into doing something that I don't want to do.


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## jelhill (Nov 11, 2018)

Helmut said:


> I tell them I don't do residential.
> 
> Saves friendships.





Now, you have to know that they know you are lying! :vs_laugh:


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## 360max (Jun 10, 2011)

The headache isn’t worth the 4 bucks, buy new, unless your bored


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## jelhill (Nov 11, 2018)

HackWork said:


> I tell friends, family, and customers that I do not touch Christmas lights. Go buy new LED lights. If they don't work, buy new ones.



Is that Avatar an alligator or the Grinch? :biggrin:


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## Helmut (May 7, 2014)

HackWork said:


> I used to tell people that when I did commercial work as my full-time job. Believe it or not, some of them still got pissy. They acted like I could do their resi work, but that I just didn't want to.
> 
> Well, that's true, and there is nothing I hate more than someone who tries to push me into doing something that I don't want to do.


It would be different if my friends had trade skills that I need from time to time.

We could trade work. 

When I first started, I did resi, and it seems all my neighbors expected me to work on the cheap, just cause....and do it for them, according to their schedule.


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## eddy current (Feb 28, 2009)

Years ago fixing Xmas lights made sense. Hell I have installed sub panels in garages to power Xmas lights bac’ when each bulb was a few watts.

Nowadays The recycle scrap yard is where Xmas lights that don’t work go. New ones are cheap.


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

This thing works good too.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Light-Ke...ol-For-Fixing-Your-Christmas-Lights/23889189?











You can insert an empty socket on a burned out strip of lights, pull the trigger and it zaps the string into working again.


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## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

HackWork said:


> I used to tell people that when I did commercial work as my full-time job. Believe it or not, some of them still got pissy. They acted like I could do their resi work, but that I just didn't want to.
> 
> Well, that's true, and there is nothing I hate more than someone who tries to push me into doing something that I don't want to do.


Start telling them you have a $2000 deposit up front. :biggrin:


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## jelhill (Nov 11, 2018)

OKAY! Base on the Posts on this thread from many of you guys, here is the letter that I have drafted that will be e-mail to my friends in the future:


Dear Long-Time Friend,
Even though I do commercial and residential electrical work I will no longer be able to help you with your string of Christmas lights that are not working. For one thing, I am too lazy to send you a YouTube I found that will show you how to fix them. In addition, based on some of the input I received from a forum called *Electrician Talk* you should just throw your lights away and buy new one's since they are cheap. This includes the lights that are built into your fake tree... just throw the dumb tree away and buy a new one! I know this does *NOT* reflect Christmas Spirit on my part, but since you are a good friend I know you will understand. *MERRY CHRISTMAS!*


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Stop being a girl.

It's 2018, anyone who uses incandescent Christmas lights, even built into a tree, should be taken out back and put down.

Someone else's cheapness and inability to change should not equate to work and frustration on our part.


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## flyboy (Jun 13, 2011)

HackWork said:


> I tell *friends*, family, and customers that I do not touch Christmas lights. Go buy new LED lights. If they don't work, buy new ones.


You have friends?


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

flyboy said:


> You have friends?


1 less now :sad:


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## flyboy (Jun 13, 2011)

HackWork said:


> 1 less now :sad:


:vs_sad:


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## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

HackWork said:


> 1 less now :sad:


They were an acquaintance then.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Helmut said:


> It would be different if my friends had trade skills that I need from time to time.
> 
> We could trade work.
> 
> .


I used to ghost them and found some of them would wait 2 years for me to stop by. That stopped about 1/2 of them.
Then I started asking for a "handy" that cut out about another 1/2 of the remaining ones.


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## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

Along a similar vein, "family & business don't mix".


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I don't even fix my own Christmas lights. Well, I sorta do. I fix them right into the garbage can.


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

I threw away all the mini lights and bought LED's 

One outlet can handle all 5 strings and haven't had to replace one bulb for five years.


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## stiffneck (Nov 8, 2015)

jelhill said:


> You probably have friends that call you all the time wanting advice regarding their electrical problems, I certainly do.





Helmut said:


> I tell them I don't do residential.
> 
> Saves friendships.



I tell them I work on, "A different kind of Electric, at the Airport."


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## catsparky1 (Sep 24, 2013)

It is not the lights so much as the old lit up santa , or the 1950 moving deer . Or the self inflating snowman , all of these things . Halloween stuff too . I do not mind fixing the props but lights . Just go buy LEDS and save some money on the bill . 

When the town folk come round to see our holiday decor I tell it cost 300 bucks a month to run this stuff . So my bill goes from 200 to 500 just so you silly folk can enjoy this crap . 

My wife likes to decorate for the holidays and half of what we have is custom made be me . She dreams and I make it happen . The other stuff we buy I have to modify to make it fit in . Battery powered stuff need transformers and power supplies . The falling snow projector has to be mounted upside down . Santa and company need to be suspended . Halloween stuff needs sensors and lighting controls . If any of you have sky hooks you do not need please send them to me .


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## electricguy (Mar 22, 2007)

MDShunk said:


> I don't even fix my own Christmas lights. Well, I sorta do. I fix them right into the garbage can.



Fortunately the ecycle place is close by to me.


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## eddy current (Feb 28, 2009)

Best Xmas decorations right here


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## eddy current (Feb 28, 2009)

electricguy said:


> Fortunately the ecycle place is close by to me.


It is done so often, my scrap metal place has a special price just for Xmas lights if you leave the bulbs still attached.


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## Bird dog (Oct 27, 2015)

eddy current said:


> Best Xmas decorations right here


Hang on Cletus! CS is a coming to save ya! :vs_laugh:


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## eddy current (Feb 28, 2009)

jelhill said:


> OKAY! Base on the Posts on this thread from many of you guys, here is the letter that I have drafted that will be e-mail to my friends in the future:
> 
> 
> Dear Long-Time Friend,
> Even though I do commercial and residential electrical work I will no longer be able to help you with your string of Christmas lights that are not working. For one thing, I am too lazy to send you a YouTube I found that will show you how to fix them. In addition, based on some of the input I received from a forum called *Electrician Talk* you should just throw your lights away and buy new one's since they are cheap. This includes the lights that are built into your fake tree... just throw the dumb tree away and buy a new one! I know this does *NOT* reflect Christmas Spirit on my part, but since you are a good friend I know you will understand. *MERRY CHRISTMAS!*



Sure, remind them that they can research YouTube for bandaid type fixes but no way am I wasting my time fixing their garbage. 
Even at a reduced “friend” rate, it would be cheaper for them to buy a new tree than to pay me.


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## jelhill (Nov 11, 2018)

.....


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

jelhill said:


> .....


That is especially true here on the forum. :wink: THANKS!


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## jelhill (Nov 11, 2018)

I guess it depends on the family.... I have never had a problem.


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## jelhill (Nov 11, 2018)

Well... I screwed up again, I fixed another sting of lights on a large *Christmas *tree using the volt hound trick mentioned in the video. 


I know, I know, I am a stubborn old fart and what I should have done was take all the decorations off the tree, throw it away and then buy a new tree with LED lights and then decorate it.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

jelhill said:


> Well... I screwed up again, I fixed another sting of lights on a large *Christmas *tree using the volt hound trick mentioned in the video.
> 
> 
> I know, I know, I am a stubborn old fart and what I should have done was take all the decorations off the tree, throw it away and then buy a new tree with LED lights and then decorate it.


You should be more worried about that chip on your shoulder than the lights on a tree. Get over it already.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

HackWork said:


> You should be more worried about that chip on your shoulder than the lights on a tree. Get over it already.


He was never under it so there's no need to get over it.


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