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This is a step-by-step guide to fixing C6 LED lights.
After minimal use, the lights start to fail. I spent some time figuring out how to debug these lights.
I cut up a string of 200 lights and examined them carefully.
I have about 15 rolls of these C6 lights. Five of the strings had one or more series of lights that were off.
These lights are a set of "lights in series", which means that if one light in the series burns out, fails or is removed, then all the lights in the series fail.
In the 200 string lights, the series is 33-35 lights.
There are three types of lights in the string. I will call them Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3.
Type 1 lights are common in a string. Type 1 lights fit in a small socket. See picture on top right above. The socket on the left is a Type 1 socket. Type 1 lights have thinner plastic post than Type 2 lights. Type 1 lights do not have the "notch". In the image above on the top left, the bulb on the left is a Type 1. And the one on the right is a Type 2.
Type 2 lights are less common. The occur at the start of a string and then there are two every 33 lights. No type Type 2 lights are provided as replacements. In my strings of lights, the Type 2 lights seem to fail more often than the Type 1.
Type 2 lights play a role in the whole string not going blank, but just a sequence of 33-35 lights.
Type 3 lights were in strings bought this year. Type 3 lights have short insert see the light on the left bottom photo above. The series on Type 3 lights is much longer. I was not able to identify the start or stop of a series, but about half the lights in a string failed, and replacing all the lights with known working lights did not resolve the problem.
These are the two most common reasons for a failure and are the easiest to spot.
The socket on the left is missing the plastic colored light. The light may or may not work, and it will short if it gets wet, Replace it.
In the right socket, the light is completely gone. Insert one of the replacement bulbs.
I cut one string of 200 lights, where about half the lights were not working. I removed all the "working" bulbs. The Type 1 lights are in the bag on the left, and the Type 2 are in the bag on the right.
These procedure is pain. For a series of lights that are out, do the following:
Align the lights so the power coming in is on the left
Identify the series that is not working. We will call this Series L. The series should start with a Type 2 socket, and run until the next Type 2 socket.
Put a piece of masking tape on each end of the series where the lights are not working
Identify the next series that is working that is right of Series L. They do not need to be next together. I'll call this Series R. Do not use a working series on the left because then it will be hard to know when it is fixed.
Repeat this for each light in Series L until Series L is working (There may be more than one failed light in a series)
Be sure to use Type 1 lights in Type 1 sockets, and Type 2 lights in Type 2 sockets
Start with the leftmost light in Series L that has not been replaced
Remove the light in Series L
The light has contacts on either side. If a contact is missing then replace the light
If the contacts are pushed in too tightly bend them out a little and see if that fixes the light
If the above steps do not work, then remove the corresponding light from Series R
(Assuming 2 is the first light that is off, swap 2 with 37, then 3 with 38 and so on)
Put the light from Series L into Series R and the light from Series R into L
The light in Series R is bad if Series R does not come on
Replace the bad light with a replacement
Please note that if a Type 2 light has failed then you will have to sacrifice a string of lights to get this string working again.
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