A common query we encounter daily is, “Will an entire strand of LED Christmas lights go out if one bulb fails?”

The response to this isn't straightforward. It hinges on the kind of malfunction in question. Since the single-piece LED bulb and socket design is our most sought-after style, we'll address that type for this discussion.

When addressing an LED malfunction, there are two main types of bulb-related issues:

1) Bulb remains whole, but doesn't illuminate.
2) Bulb lens is cracked or heavily damaged.

Let's delve into these scenarios.

Bulb remains whole, but doesn't illuminate

Though LED bulbs are long-lasting, they can occasionally fail to light up. As long as the bulb lens is neither cracked nor broken, the light strand will stay illuminated, aside from any individual non-working bulbs.

Bulb lens cracked or heavily damaged

Regarding lens damage, the rule of thumb is if the lens is cracked down to the LED core, the entire strand, or on longer strands, half the strand, will cease to light. However, most LED lenses are highly resilient and are unlikely to crack or break easily.

It is essential to understand that some strands are more susceptible to malfunctions due to broken bulbs. M5 light strands have thinner bulbs that are prone to breaking, leading to more outage issues compared to other light sets.

5 mm Wide Angle Conicals boast sturdy bulbs thanks to the lens's low profile. Similarly, C7 and C9 strands are generally resistant to outages caused by bulb breakage. These larger lens sets include an outer lens and a 5 mm conical lens within, providing additional protection to the actual LED.

In summary, if one bulb fails but stays intact, the light strand will remain lit. However, if the LED lens is significantly cracked or damaged, up to the entire strand might go dark.