Maintenance Tips: Keep Your Lights Brilliant

If your lights are professionally installed, mid-season failure should be rare. But whether you DIY or hire it out, these habits will extend the life of any system.

Do this before installation

• Test every strand on the ground before going up. A 30-second test saves a 30-minute ladder trip.
• Inspect end-to-end clips on stored strands for cracks.
• Replace any blown bulbs before installing — one out bulb on incandescent strands kills the whole run.

Do this during the season

• After heavy rain or wind, walk the perimeter and look up. Loose clips and sagging strands are easy to fix early, expensive to fix late.
• Don't pressure-wash near connections. Water in a connector is the #1 cause of mid-season outages.
• Keep timers on a battery backup if you can. Power blips reset cheap timers.

Do this at takedown

• Coil, don't ball. Wrap each strand around a piece of cardboard or a dedicated reel.
• Label by location. "Front roof — north peak" beats "garage box 3."
• Store somewhere temp-stable. Attics that hit 130°F in summer cook the wire insulation.

When to call in the pros

If you've replaced bulbs, swapped fuses, and a section is still dark — the wire itself is likely compromised. Replace the strand, don't keep limping it along.