No one seemed to understand the problem with my pre-lit Christmas tree. Anyway my tree has a main hot wire that runs up the center of the tree. The tree also has lots of plug-in ones that will connect to the main wire on each section, then the other plug-ins that will connect to each other so each section will burn.
My problem is getting the main one plugged in the right socket so I can work my way up the tree. All fuses and lights are OK. Will someone give me some idea how to get all these plugged in? Or tell me which one plugs to the main hot wire on each section? There are no color codes on the plug-in. Thanks
By Reba from Bristol
By Melinda E
12/04/2010
I did what redhatterb suggested, but then I made a diagram showing which branch numbers get plugged into the tree plug and which get plugged into the previous branch's plug. I keep this diagram in my tree storage container in a plastic sleeve. It's made putting the tree up each year much easier.
The top section of my newly bought tree keeps going on and off. It seems when they are on and I try to adjust the branches the lights go off. Then when they go on again they stay on indefinitely as long as I don't touch the branches. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
By Celeste O.
By BlairScots
11/18/2012
Sounds as if your tree has a short in the wires. I would return it or call electrician or someone you may know to take a look at it. Don't want your house to catch fire.
My pre-lit tree is 2 years old; one section is out and it seems like almost every bulb has blown at once. What causes that?
By Carmine
By Flomerch
01/09/2012
It is very important to make certain that none of the bulbs are loose. That is usually the problem. They can become loosened in shipment or just getting them out of the box and putting them up. If you have ONE bad bulb and it's still in tight, the others will remain lit, and of course check the fuses in the plug, if all else fails...
By HAPPYINHARNED
01/05/2012
It may be a fuse in the light set. They have a fuse in the line. Check what kind and most drugstores and walmart sale them. Sometimes you can get one out of another old set of lights.
The clear lights on the top part of my pre-lit tree are dim. What can I do?
By Anthony from RI
12/09/2012
I have the Trim-A-Tree9 with GE bulbs. Same problem described, except that I had three of the white-base bulbs appeared to be burned. I pulled one apart and confirmed the bulb was dead with a multimeter. I went to Ace Hardware to find a replacement. Problem is there was no data on the bulb, so I used a regular replacement bulb without a base and something interesting happened. The lights came on, but that new bulb blew out immediately.
I found two more white-base bulbs that appeared burned and did the same procedure. Same results. But, the rest of the tree lights up. I am worried that those white-base bulbs may be surge protection, but what a crappy design. The fuses in the plug are supposed to provide that protection. If this tree fails again, I'll replace it with a regular tree and then buy LED lights. Note to GE: Is this really the best you can do?
Is there a certain way to plug pre-lit Christmas trees in.
By liz from Idaho
By hafwhit
12/08/2011
I'm beginning to hate my pre-lit tree 8). But this year we bought one of those 'guns' that you can use to 'restart' the lights. They have helped with about half of the un-lit strands. It's called a "Light Keeper Pro". Can't remember the cost, but well worth it! Found it at the big box store.
My pre-lit tree has one section of lights that goes on, then off for about 5 minutes, then back on for about 3 minutes. Any suggestions?
By Donna
I have a pre-lit tree and noticed that some of the lights are out and have turned black. Does that mean that I need to replace that strand? Can you do that on these?
By pj
By margeth
12/20/2011
I have a pre lite tree that I have had for about 4 years. This year the middle section would not lite up. I just added a small string of lights to the middle and left the non working ones on the tree. You cannot even notice them once the other decorations are put on the tree.
I have a 7ft. clear light, pre-lit tree. Every year it seems there is a problem. Last year it was the top, this year the top and bottom do not light. It has 800 lights on it. Anyone have any quick fix to find the culprit bulb(s)? If I have to check every bulb I will miss Christmas and a good part of 2013.
By Moe C
By HalfWhit
12/05/2012
You can buy a 'bulb and string light checker' at any hardware type store. It has 'saved' several strings of lights we have. It's called a Light Keeper. Works pretty good - you'll at least get your money's worth.
We have a pre-lit Christmas tree that has worked for years beautifully, but this year the whole tree has been going out on us. The first time it happened we figured it was the main 5 amp fuse. We bought another and we were right, it lit again beautifully, but only for 1 day.
We again put in a new fuse and have found that the tree will light for a few hours and then everything goes off. As soon as I change the main fuse it goes on again. Obviously we must have some sort of short somewhere but how do I find it?
By Sara from NJ
By Gail216
01/09/2010
We had the same problem with our prelit Christmas tree. I spent hours trying to find the problem. Finally my Irish temper got the better of me and I removed the light sets (time consuming). I bought individual light sets and just placed them on the tree. The newer sets have a v in the wire that just sit on the branches. I put the tree away with the light sets still on them and they were fine the next year!
On the top portion of my pre-lit tree, a small strand of lights went out. I took out the white fuse light. Did I do anything bad to my tree?
By Sarah R.
By carletonm
12/19/2011
The problem is in the fuse bulb. It is a very bad design because it is not replaceable and when it blows the entire string goes out and this is a real problem on a pre-lit tree. Why there is a fuse bulb on top off the fuses in the plug itself is beyond me. On my tree, only one year old, five of the fuse bulbs had failed!
GE sent under warranty three new strands but I really didn't want to thread them all in on top of the dead bulbs and wires, so I did this: (1) unplugged the tree (2) pulled on the fuse bulb until it came out (3) carefully, with an ice pick, levered out the white fuse bulb socket enough to use a pair of needle-nose pliers to fully remove it (4) with those pliers, molded it back into shape (5) from the spare bulbs, removed one from its green base and threaded it into the white base (6) put the bulb and white base back into the socket (7) with the needle-nose pliers, pushed it back down fully.
Result: A beautiful tree, fully lit again. Yes, this supposedly violates the warranty, but I already have three free new strands I'm now not going to use, but will keep just in case.
GE really needs to make that fusible bulb replaceable (and provide spares); otherwise, get rid of it entirely.
I need to know how to plug all the tiers in, in sequence, so the whole tree lights. I have every other tier lit, but I think it's because of the connections being plugged in wrong.
It is a 7.5 foot Jersey pine by GE.
By Brad S.
By redhatterb
11/24/2011
It would be hard to tell you the problem, not being there, and not being familiar with the tree. What I always do when I assemble a pre-lit tree of any kind, is to plug in the base of it first, then as I add each tier, I can plug it into the base to make sure it is plugged in right. It is easier to do it that way, than wait until you have the tree completely assembled. I figured this out, after having to take a tree apart and re-assembling it.
I have had the pre-lit tree for 5 or 6 years now. It has 9 different light settings eg: flashing, fading etc., but I have always used the "steady on" mode so that the lights are on all the time. However this year that mode seems not to be working, so is there anything that I can buy to correct it? The tree is in 3 sections which plug into one another and all the lights seem to be working it's just the mode "steady on" that doesn' work.
By Anne S from Wilmington, Kent, UK
I have one of the pre-lit trees with the white fuse bulbs. After destroying the white base and replacing it with a regular bulb in a green base it didn't work. I cut out that socket and wired the two strands together. The strand does not work. Anyone that can tell me why? There was a third cord, but it does not have wire only a fiber like filling.
By Gayle G
I have lost the electrical base connection to my pre-lit Xmas tree. Can I buy replacement parts somewhere?
By Jakki
The lights on the pre-lit tree I bought last year won't come on, except for a small section near the top. I have checked fuses with no luck, but would like to avoid checking each bulb if at all possible. Anyone else having this problem?
Gwen
By LorettaB
By susanmajp
By theresa
By Dish
By Formerly Angry Daddy
By Maggie
By Dish
By Matti
By gwen
By guest
By tsuns
By Rusty
By Doofus
By Bill
By Dish
I bought a pre-lit Christmas tree from Elder Beerman's after-Christmas sale. The tree was a display tree, and for some reason when it was taken down all the light sets were unplugged. It has been a total nightmare in getting the lights to work. The tree was put in a different box with the wrong instructions. I have no idea how to even plug the lights up without the schematic diagram.
This is the only site that has mentioned the white bulb base. We removed them and did not replace that socket with anything and the light is still light. My problem is the correct way to connect the sets of lights. I hope I have given enough info. I have had my tree up since Thanksgiving and still not decorated, because of the light thing. Please, any help will be useful. The plug ends do have a letter and number Ex: D35. Thanks in advance.
Tammy from Charleston, IL
By A guest
By Harry
By Tricia
By Gene
By NHLinda
A better approach could be to cut out the safety fuse lamp and replace it with a splice-in fuse holder for AG type fuses. A small amp fuse, 1 - 5 amps, rated for use on a 120VAC circuit (assuming USA here) should work fine. Just so there is something in there to open the circuit in case of a fault. That's better than having the wires heat up and catch on fire. (01/14/2009)
By Terry
If the tree lights are completely dead, I wouldn't bother cutting the old lights out, I would just string other lights on the tree and proceed with the decorating. I usually add some LED lights to my tree anyway. (06/13/2009)
By redhatterb
When I plug in my pre-lit Christmas tree it only lights up one half of each section. What is wrong?
By Michelle from Riverside, CA
By luv2kraft143
By Warren
By luketc
If you can't get the white bulb bases out, you could just cut the socket out of the circuit and splice the wires together. The only result will be slightly brighter lights since you've removed a little resistance from the series circuit (12/09/2007)
By Dish (12/11/2009)
By StElmoQn
My pre-lit Christmas tree lights don't work (two different rows). How do I fix this problem?
By I don't know
By redhatterb
I have a pre-lit tree that has worked perfectly for 2 years, this is the third year I have put it up. Now since the warranty is out, half of the lights light up. Its not random, every other row of branches light up like stripes on my tree.
I had a friend check the electricity running through the wires, and on my tree I have splitters that have two wires going in and 4 wires coming out. Only half of every splitter is getting power. We have checked every fuse and spent hours looking at bulbs.
I have no idea what a safety light is or why this is happening? Should I just forget the lights and put new ones on or can this be fixed?
By Amanda from Richmond, KY
By redhatterb
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Pre-lit Tree Lights Not Working