6 Reasons Your LED Christmas Lights Are Dim (+Fix)

It is best to take out your Christmas LED lights well in advance to check if they are working fine. If your Christmas lights are dim and you want to know how to fix them, you are at the right place.

If the LED Christmas lights are dim, it may be due to wattage issues. If the light bulb doesn’t match the wattage capacity, you must replace it. It may also occur because of voltage fluctuations. Check the prongs of the LED lights to see any corrosion. Clean the corroded prongs to fix the issue.

In this article, I will help you understand 6 common reasons for the dim LED Christmas lights and possible fixes to solve the issues. So, keep reading.

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Why are my led Christmas lights dim? (+Fix)

The Christmas season has lots of thrills while you decorate your home with glittering lights and decors. 

It is an absolute disappointment if your Christmas LED lights are dim and you cannot use them. 

Last year, when I was decorating outdoors and indoors with led lights.

It was an utter disappointment to see them dim. 

I can relate to your situation, but the good news is that you can fix it easily without spending money. 

If your Christmas led lights are faulty, they may go dim.

If there are minor faults, you can fix them yourself. 

However, if the LED bulbs are broken, you may have to replace them. 

Let’s understand how you can deal with dim Christmas Led lights.

1. Wattage issues

When installing LED Christmas lights, choosing the appropriate wattage bulb is important.

If you replace the bulbs with new ones, you must notice the difference in wattage. 

Suppose you have chosen a low-wattage bulb; it will blow dim. 

So, check the wattage of the bulb and replace it if it is of low wattage. 

Now, let’s understand why light wattage is an important factor you must consider while decorating your home with Christmas Led lights. 

When you install led Christmas lights, understanding the relation of wattage and amperage will help to keep the Christmas decoration safe and fun.

You must know the amperage of your power supply to customize the led bulbs accordingly. 

You must keep the ampere and wattage requirements in these two factors:

The string lights will fuse if supplied with higher watts than they can handle.

So, consider its maximum watts capacity.

Another important factor to consider is how much is the maximum wattage holding capacity of your house’s electrical circuits when you connect the led light to it.

Here are some points to understand the maximum wattage holding capacity of string lights:

  • Led lights don’t require too much electricity to light up. So, you can attach 80 sets of lights with a string which will not cause any issues.
  • String lights are attached with a little fuse as they have high watts holding capacity. So, it would be best if you did not overload it as it will blow a fuse.
  • Apart from the wattage capacity of string lights, you must also consider the capacity of the electrical outlet you will connect the string lights.

Here is how you can understand the maximum watts capacity of your household electrical circuits: 

You must understand that your household circuit is connected to many plugs and other heavy-duty appliances.  

If you plug in the led Christmas lights, they will share the wattage capacity of the household circle with other plug outlets and heavy-duty appliances. 

If all other plugs and appliances are already occupying the wattage capacity of the circuit, plugging in the led Christmas lights with the same circuit may cause issues. 

LED Christmas lights will blow dim, and the circuit might get tripped.

It is because when wattage consumption exceeds the amperage capacity.

  • We all know that most household electric circuits in the US have 15 to 20 amperage capacity. So, the devices you connect with the circuit must not exceed 80% of wattage consumption.
  • Let’s say the amperage capacity of your circuit is 15; then 80% wattage will be around 1440. And if the amperage is 20, it would be 1920 watts capacity. 

If you are not sure of how can LED lights can string together, follow the instructions below: 

UL standards determine how many lights can be connected in a string by plugging it into a single electrical outlet. 

It is important to know these standards for safe Christmas decorations. 

For example, a 22 gauge wire can handle 210 wattages. 

Refer to the table below for detailed information:

Type of Christmas lightsGauge numberNo. of lights per stringWattage capacityMaximum stringTotal light you can connect
LED mini lights22704.8433010
LED C9 lights183331.715495
LED pre-lamped C9 lights221009.6878700
LED mini commercial lights20252.41754375

If your Christmas LED lights are dim, the significant reason would be wattage issues.

Consider following the instruction above to fix the issues.

2. Timer connection issues

If you have connected the timer with the Christmas LED lights, check if they are compatible and not disturbing the voltage supply. 

If your LED lights are dim, it may be due to the time blocking the current flow. 

In such a case, you must check the manual for compatibility between the LED lights and timer. 

After referring to them, make changes accordingly to fix the issue.

Or else, you can disconnect the timer from the LED Christmas light to solve the issue.

3. Voltage fluctuations

Voltage fluctuation may also be another reason your Christmas LED lights are dim. 

There may be several reasons for the voltage fluctuations. 

If the prongs in the LED lights are corrupted, voltage fluctuation may occur. 

To fix this issue, clean the LED light prongs with cotton to remove the corrosion. 

Another reason would be the voltage drop in your household electric circuit. 

In such a case, you must consult a professional about the voltage drop in your electrical circuit.

4. Natural light may dim the lights

Sometimes, the natural sun may dim the LED lights, and you may have misunderstood it as the issue. 

Try taking the LED Christmas lights inside the home to check if they are dim. 

Or check it after sunset to check the working condition of the Christmas LED light. 

If faulty, replace them with new LED Christmas lights or try the fixes mentioned above.

5. Check if the holder is corrupted

If the holder is corrupted, there won’t be proper current flow to the bulb. 

Check the holders of the LED bulb by removing every bulb of the Christmas lights.

Remove the bulbs from the socket and remove the rust from the holders.

If they are heavily corrupted, you must replace the set completely. 

You can use sandpaper to remove the rust from the holders.

After cleaning the rust, you must replace the bulb and plug it into an outlet to check if the issue is solved.

6. The bulb is damaged

When you have connected the LED Christmas lights, you can see random lights are not blowing. 

If that’s the case, those bulbs are damaged, and you must replace them. 

A bulb is often considered damaged when its fuse has burned. 

Sometimes, when the fuse is a bit faulty, LED lights will dim. 

In such a case, replace the light bulbs.

How long do Christmas LED lights last? 

LED lights last longer than other incandescent lights.

They last for 7-10 years. 

Outdoor LED Christmas lights are prone to cold weather and rain.

So, it is important to take proper care to avoid spoilage of LED lights.

Can you leave Christmas Led lights on all night?

Even though LED lights are durable, it is not safe to leave them switched on all night as it may decrease the lifespan of the LED lights. 

It is recommended to switch off the light before you go to bed.

Let’s discuss why it is not okay to leave LED lights on all night.

  • LED lights are reliable and less risky; leaving them switched on overnight may sometimes cause a short circuit if you purchased the led lights a long ago. If you have switched on the LED lights for long hours, it may cause danger. So it is better to avoid keeping it switched on all night.
  • If LED lights are switched on for too long, they may overheat. Even though LED lights are known for less heating, they are not recommended to be switched on all night.
  • A high electricity bill is a significant consideration for switching off the LED lights at night. LED lights consume less electricity than other lights, but you can save a significant amount of electricity by switching them off at night. 

Tips to avoid damaging your Christmas lights

To make them last longer, you must ensure you take proper care of them. 

Follow the tips below to prevent Christmas lights from getting damaged.

  • Before Christmas begins, you must check the lights and replace the damaged bulbs.
  • Avoid connecting too many lights in a single electrical outlet. If you plug in too many lights in the same outlet, it may cross the wattage limit, causing the circuit to trip.
  • Avoid keeping the Christmas LED lights switched on all day and night. Even though LED lights are known for their reliability, they may overheat and cause hazards unexpectedly. 
  • Don’t use indoor light outdoors. Outdoor LED lights are made with protection and insulation to cope with the cold or the hot weather outside. Using the indoor lights outside may cause hazards.
  • Avoid putting the Christmas lights on the ground if you put lights on the ground because water can ruin the lights. And pets may chew them out of curiosity.
  • After Christmas, you must store the lights properly to avoid damage. Instead of storing it without wrapping, put the lights inside cardboard and seal it properly to prevent the pests from reaching the wires.
  • Install GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) to the outdoor LED Christmas lights. Doing this will help you avoid damage to the LED light and prevent electric socks.

Final thoughts

Christmas is the best time of the year to have fun and spend quality time with family. Light decorations during Christmas make the celebration even more special. To make it memorable, you must take the proper care of LED lights to avoid buying new lights every year.

You can also avoid hazards when you take proper safety measures during the light decorations. If your Christmas LED lights are dim, it may be due to the 6 common reasons mentioned in the article. 

You can fix the issue by following the steps mentioned in the article. You must also follow the safety tips to protect the Christmas LED lights from getting damaged. However, if you cannot fix the issue, replace the faulty one with the new LED light set. 


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Jeniffer Smith

Hi, I am Jeniffer Smith, a housemaker and blogger, and I grew up in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. I have been researching and fixing appliances and other things around the home and kitchen from a young age to help my single mother. Every time something went wrong, I couldn't rest until I fixed it. And ever since, I have enjoyed fixing things around my home, and I am always ready to help my friends and family with advice and hands-on help. Since we were always looking for affordable ways of fixing things, we rarely hired experts and tried to fix most things ourselves. That interest brought me to write for this blog, as I realized my knowledge could help many people trying to fix things around their homes on their own without spending hundreds of dollars.

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