Odd Christmas Light Issue

[bdbecker]

I was decorating the Christmas tree yesterday and I ran into an odd issue while trying to hang the lights. I was installing strings of incandescent G40 bulbs and as I was hanging the first strand on the bottom of the tree, I got 2/3 around the tree and the fuse burned up. No big deal, fuses burn up. I set that strand aside and grabbed another. Then it happened again at the same spot, about 2/3 around the tree. I thought it was weird that it happened at the same spot, but whatever. When it happened another two times (four in total) at that exact same spot on the tree, I was starting to wonder if I was in the twilight zone. To make the situation even more strange, I tried two different brands of lights that are different age (two sets I've had for years, the other two I bought new last year and have a different fuse/plug housing and bulb shape) with the same results. I was freaking out a little, Wife just thought it was funny.

To make a long story short, the lights worked fine once swapped out all the burned fuses, but I'm still trying to figure out why I had four strands of lights all burn up fuses at the exact same spot on the tree. The lights were plugged into a remote switch, and were the first string in the line (not plugged into another strand). We use the remote switches for lamps in our living room year round without issue. The outlet we have the the lights plugged into is used all the time without issue as well.

Could this be pure coincidence, or is there some other factor I'm not considering here?

 

[niget2002]

When you tested the lights after fixing the fuse, did you plug them into the same outlet switch? If so, how long did you leave the lights plugged in? I'm wondering if there's something wrong with the switch and the plug being wiggled back and forth while you're wrapping the tree is causing a short. Or if it's surging after X number of seconds that just happen to be the amount of time it takes you to wrap 2/3rds of the way around the tree.

Ditch the switch and plug straight into the wall. See if it still does it.

 

[niget2002]

double post

 

[bdbecker]

Once the fuses were replaced, I plugged the lights back into that outlet switch and they have been running without issue. I don't think pulling on the cord would be an issue since I always try to make sure there isn't tension on the cords when they are plugged in.

Surging is also something I had considered, but the first strand was plugged in for a good 10 minutes while I went hunting for my box of replacement bulbs. The other strands were pretty consistent on the timing of install though.

I'm starting to wonder if there might have been a small amount of condensation in the plug that could have maybe caused the short. The lights were stored in a cold garage and brought inside just before I started installing them. Maybe that 10 minutes looking for a spare bulb was just enough time to allow condensation to form in all the plugs, and that 2/3 around the tree was just enough time for the short to cause the fuse to burn up.

 

[ScottsGT]

Can't answer your question, but I did have a squirrel slam into my window yesterday trying to jump into our Christmas tree that is sitting behind it.

 

[laser3kw]

how many pictured this

 

[bdbecker]

how many pictured this

That made my week!