Lightkeeper pro incandescent light sets User Manual
Includes
- Q Bulb Tester
- Q Batteries Installed
- Q 10 Spare Bulbs
- Q Fuse Tester
- Located in handle
- 2.5Volt 170mA
See how it is done
CAUTION: This product should not be used in the rain or in other conditions which could present a shock hazard.
Things You Will Need to Know
- Numerous blackened bulbs are indicative of a light set that is at the end of its useful life.
- The Voltage Detector is calibrated to work on a non-working light set and is not intended to be used on a working set.
- When activating Voltage Detector (Top Black Button) a “Chirp” may be heard which indicates that it’s working properly. Not to be confused with “Continuous Beeping” which means there is 120 Volts present.
- Blown fuses are rarely the cause of light set failure. Blown fuses are the result of an overloaded circuit caused by connecting too many light sets together end to end.
- Both bulb wires must make a complete connection with metal contacts in the socket.
- 50 good bulbs placed in 49 good sockets & 1 bad socket results in a failed light set. Inspect bulb socket contacts for proper alignment. Both should be up to an equal height.
- While using the Voltage Detector, do not hold the bulb socket in your hand (keep your hand at least 6 in. away). Your body acts as a ground and will alter the results.
- Some light sets are produced with one non-replaceable fused bulb. This bulb will have a different color ring at the base of the socket. If this bulb burns out, the set is not repairable.
Quick Fix Trigger – Socket Connector
Fix Lights using the Quick Fix Trigger Technology which repairs the most common problem of light set failure, a malfunctioning bulb “shunt”.
Step 1A: Locate and remove any single Unlit Bulb from the light set section that is not lit. Clear the socket area of tinsel or any foreign material.
Plug the empty bulb socket fully into the LightKeeper Pro’s® Socket Connector. The metal contacts of the bulb socket must line up with the metal contacts of the LightKeeper Pro’s® Socket Connector (Fig. A).
Step 1B: With the bulb socket in the Socket Connector and the light set plugged into the AC outlet, pull the trigger until the light set illuminates. If lights do not illuminate after 30 pulls then use the Voltage Detector in Step 2A.
Step 1C: Unplug the light set from the AC outlet and return the removed bulb to the empty light socket. Be sure to replace any unlit bulbs to help extend the life of your light set. IF THE SOCKET DOES NOT FIT INTO SOCKET CONNECTOR, THEN SEE ALTERNATE QUICK FIX METHOD. PLEASE REFERENCE PAGE 3.
Audible Voltage Detector
This is a second technique that helps locate circuit interrup-tions caused by loose bulbs, twisted wires and other problems not solved by the Quick Fix Trigger method.
Step 2A: Plug the defective light set into the AC outlet. Hold down the black button on top of the LightKeeper Pro® to activate the Voltage Detector. The red LED will light and the detector may “Chirp” indicating the detector is on. Place the tip of the LightKeeper Pro® against the first bulb closest to the plug and AC outlet (Fig. B). If a continuous beeping is heard, go to Step 2B. If you do not hear a continuous beeping at the first bulb, reverse the plug 180 degrees in the AC outlet. Simply stated: continuous beeping indicates the presence of voltage. No beeping indicates the lack of voltage.
Step 2B: Scan the unlit section of the light set starting at the first bulb closest to the plug. Put the tip of the LightKeeper Pro® between bulb one and two and establish a distance from the wires where a continuous beeping can be heard (average 1/2 in.). Maintaining this distance, scan the length of the unlit section until the detector stops beeping (Fig. C). The bulb and socket between where the detector beeps and does not beep is the source of a problem. Remove and test the indicated bulb and replace if necessary. Also, visually inspect the bulb socket contacts for proper alignment. All lights should now illuminate. If not, continue your scan from this point until you find what may be an additional problem.
Hints from the LightKeeper “Pros”
We’ve all heard “when one bulb burns out the rest stay lit”. Internal bulb failure does not always support this statement.
- Practice with Voltage Detector by removing a bulb from a working Light set. Start scanning, a continuous beeping should be heard up to the point of interruption and no beeping beyond it.
- Failure to replace burned out bulbs decreases the life of the light set by adding additional stress. Four burned out bulbs within a 50 light set decreases the life of the set by 67%.
- 2.5 volt bulbs are used in 50, 100, and 150 light sets. 3.5 volt bulbs are used in 35 and 70 light sets. Consult the tag attached to your light set for specifications.
- Expected bulb life spans a range from 1000 to 3000 hours of usage.
- While using the Audible Voltage Detector, more consistent readings may be achieved if scanning the bulb sockets, one by one, as opposed to scanning the wires.
Alternate Quick Fix Method – AC Plug Connector
Occasionally your bulb sockets are inaccessible or light sockets are too large to fit into the Lightkeeper Pro’s® Socket Connector. If this occurs, use this rarely needed Alternate Method.
Alternate Step 1A: Find the plug to the defective light set. If more than one light set is attached to the set End-to End, unplug the additional sets. When the defective light set is plugged into the AC outlet and no lights are lit, you are ready to use the Quick Fix Plug Connector. If the light set is partially lit (this is common in 100 light sets which are constructed with two 50 light sections), you must first isolate the problem by removing one bulb from each lit section before using the Alternate Plug Connector Method.
Alternate Step 1B: With no lights lit, plug the defective light set into LightKeeper Pro® Plug Connector. Pull the trigger 30 times repairing any bulb shunts needing repair (Fig. D).
Alternate Step 1C: Now plug the set into the AC outlet. The previously defective section should now light. Replace any bulbs previously removed from the lit sections and replace all burned out bulbs. If lights did not illuminate, use the Voltage Detector in Step 2A.
Bulb And Fuse Tester
There’s a necessary oxide coating on the copper wires of incandescent light bulbs. That coating is why we have to put pressure and sometimes gently rock the bulb back and forth while testing to get the bulb tester to function properly. The Bulb Tester is designed to fit most miniature light bulbs. Place the bulb in the tester making sure the two thin wires of the bulb firmly touch the metal inside the bulb tester. A good bulb will illuminate when its wires touch the contacts of the Bulb Tester. The Fuse Tester is designed to check 3 amp fuses which are supplied with most miniature light sets. Fuses are rarely the cause of light set failure. Fuses are located in the plug of the light set. Place the fuse in the Fuse Tester on top of the LightKeeper Pro®, making sure the fuse touches the metal contacts on both sides. If the fuse is good, the red LED on top will illuminate. Please be aware that blown fuses are usually indicative of an overloaded circuit or a larger problem.
Battery Replacement
Three alkaline 1.5 volt batteries are included. Press forward on the black voltage detector latch, which is the battery compart-ment, and lift to open (Fig. F). When replacing batteries, be sure to put them in according to the diagram shown in the bottom of the battery compartment for proper polarity (+,-). The 3 button cell batteries power the Bulb and Fuse Tester, as well as the Voltage Detector. The Quick Fix Trigger is not battery powered but operates using a piezo ceramic.
CAUTION: replace only with 1.5 Volt Alkaline Batteries – Type L1154, LR44, AG-13, A76 or 357. When replacing batteries, do not mix old and new batteries. Do not mix alkaline, standard (carbon-zinc), or rechargeable (nickel-cadmium) batteries. Non-rechargeable batteries are not to be recharged. Exhausted batteries are to be removed from product. When disposing of batteries, do not dispose of batteries in fire. Batteries may explode or leak. Batteries may contain mercury. Do not put in trash. Recycle or manage as hazardous waste. Do not ingest.Replacement batteries available at LightKeeperPro.com THE LIGHTKEEPER PRO® IS NOT INTENDED FOR LEDs, ROPE LIGHTS OR LIGHT SETS WITH CONTROL BOXES (INCLUDING BATTERY PACKS).
Storage Organizer
The LightKeeper Pro® has a convenient organizer for bulbs and fuses built into the handle (Fig. G). Professional Tip – Voltage Detector
Time Saver
Instead of scanning between every bulb, skip halfway to the end of your light set. If a continuous beeping is heard at this point, skip forward again, halfway to the end of the unlit section. You are looking for the point where no beeping is heard. Once there, scan backwards towards your last positive beeping. The bulb between where the detector beeps and doesn’t is where the problem is located.The LightKeeper Pro® is a Tool designed to be used with Miniature Light Sets only. When using tools and electrical items, basic safety precautions should always be followed. The LightKeeper Pro® is not a toy and should not be kept where small children have access. When using this product, connected to a miniature light string, the Manufacturer’s Safety Instructions should be consulted and standard safety precautions should be taken. The product should not be used in the rain or in other conditions which could present a shock hazard. All references in the preceding to “Outlets” are to a 120 Volt AC power source.
Instructional Videos at LightKeeperPro.com
Quick Fix Trigger Method
How does the Quick Fix work?
The most common cause of non-working light sets is Internal Bulb Failure. This repair method is as simple as removing a bulb from a socket in the unlit section. PLUG the empty bulb socket into the LightKeeper Pro® and CLICK the trigger. The LightKeeper Pro® sends a pulse of electricity through the light set, finds and FIXES the “shunt” (See Bulb Diagram), illuminating the unlit section. If the light set remains unlit, use the Audible Voltage Detector method (2).
THE LIGHTKEEPER PRO® IS NOT INTENDED FOR LEDs, ROPE LIGHTS OR LIGHT SETS WITH CONTROL BOXES.EL LIGHTKEEPER PRO® NO ESTÁ INDICADO PARA REPARAR LUCES LED, CABLES DE LUCES NI SERIES DE LUCES QUE TENGAN CAJA DE CONTROL.
Audible Voltage Detector Method
How does the Detector work?
This method finds points of interruption within a light set such as: a loose bulb, broken wire, broken glass, etc. When a light set is plugged into 120V and is not illuminated, voltage is present up to the point of interruption. Press the black button at the top of the LightKeeper Pro® to activate the Detector and begin to scan the light set. The Detector will beep continuously before the interruption and will not beep after, to pinpoint a problem. Repairing the interruption will allow the electricity to flow and illuminate the light set.This Card Unfolds for Complete Instructions
