Fixing low voltage copper wire LED strings.

This video is about repairing the very common low voltage (3 to 12V) LED strings based on insulated copper wire with LEDs soldered across them and dipped in resin. The guide is not suitable for traditional mains voltage LED strings.
I like the copper-wire LED strings. It's a simple parallel circuit of voltage matched LEDs that are quite rugged and water resistant by virtue of the LED and wire connection points being dipped in resin forming a strong bead on the wire. It is possible to snap the wire though, and I often get asked if it's possible to repair or shorten them.
The simple two wire parallel strings are also ideal for chopping into shorter sections for other applications.
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[yudodis]

Just letting you know this video is still helping people thank you!

[kimtalbot]

I broke a 10m 3 wire strand of copper fairy lights 5 months ago and couldn’t figure out how to fix it. Had been meaning to ask my dad.
He passed away 4 months ago and that strand of lights, like many many many things in my life and workshop were little heartbreak reminders.

I decided to learn how to fix them and came across your channel. Thank you SO SO much!

Also, my dad used to snag things in his beard too. 🤗

[amytucker]

We didn't even think to strip the wires, because as you pointed out, they just look like metal! Once we did that, my husband was able to save our lights from the landfill! Thank you for sharing these great tips!

[jas]

Brilliant! I kept wondering why mine wouldn't work after I twisted the broken wire together. I had no idea the wires were coated. A little rubbing with a nail file on both ends, then twisted together again, and voila, worked like a charm and saved me the cost of another string. Thank you!!! This is the thing I love most about YouTube...you can learn how to do almost anything yourself, from the comfort of your home. I've learned how to change my windshield wipers, fix my toilet and now, fix a string of LED lights. What next?

[viviennehudson]

I watched this yesterday as I snipped through an led wire when cutting price tags off a Christmas decoration. I didn't understand much of it, but today I watched again. With a glass nail file and elec insulation tape I repaired the led. Thank you.

[jessicavela]

I accidentally snipped our light up Snow man lights when trimming the zip ties and watched in horror as my kids got the saddest look on their face thinking it was completely ruined. You saved our snowman! Thank you!!!!

[AuralayKristine]

You are a lifesaver. I JUST finished hanging a bunch of these in my room and the second I was finished they all went dim. Your tutorial worked like a charm!!!

[dccopeland]

I had to dig deep on Google to find this solution to the problem. For all the time I wasted, this is the BEST answer to the problem. The diagrams were less important to me than the final segment showing how to fix the problem. There I learned that the wires after being cut must be filed/sanded to remove a clear resin coating so that when you connect the CORRECT two wires, the strand will light. I don't understand why this video doesn't come up higher in the search results. Thanks Big Clive for posting this. You are muy worthy. :)

[maeosbourn]

Nearly threw away 20m of lights after trimming my christmas tree while my dad was out and cutting the wire! You have saved me and my christmas thanks so much!

[ayoabe]

Cannot thank you enough. GF got us some of these for our camping trips and they've been out of commission for years. I didn't want to let them go because of the memories and today gave it a shot and they work again. Appreciate your approach and looking forward to watching more of your videos.

[theresafitzgeralddc]

Clive-- Thank you for your wonderful, clear instructions. I did the two wire repair with my emery board and was back to lit-up business in 15 minutes. The only thing I didn't do on the first try was realize that I had to pair the wires to the correct polarity, so my first try didn't work.... Second time was a charm! Happy

[karenlynch]

Thanks, Big Clive!!! I successfully added a string of these lights to another thanks to you! I put these little lights in my stone wall around a patio -- tucking the wire into every nook and cranny. Takes FOREVER and I have to redo it every few years. This year I ran out 2/3 of the way through, so I bought more but then realized I had only one power supply out there, and it was at the other end. So I connected them!! woohoo! Thanks!!!!

[BEBrah]

Well documented and explained! I used this video to cut a string of 5v, 3-wire down and add it to another string I had, and then sew up the first string after cutting it. To avoid increasing the resistance of the longer string too much, I connected all 4 of the positive wires together in parallel at the splice. Original string was 33 feet long; new strings are 36 foot and 30 foot.

[chrishogben]

I went full all the emotions following this, thinking I had the two wire set and could swap it out, then realising it’s a 3 wire set and watching you do the repair made it look really straightforward, to realising actually I’ve got the 12v set and I should probably just buy a replacement.

[mw]

So happy I found this video! Our local dollar store has been selling "rice lights" (micro-leds), some solar, some battery powered. I wanted to take some from a battery set and add them to the solar set (solar set had 5 lights, battery had 20 lights). We convert traditional string lights to solar all the time and was just thrown for a loop about these micro-led ones. I easily added the additional lights quickly after watching this simple how-to.
Thank you!

[garyhardman]

I used to be involved in the manufacture of transformers. As a general rule of thumb, if the insulation is a 'golden' or 'red' colour, then it is 'self fluxing' and can be removed by applying a tinned soldering iron to the wire, thus removing the insulation and tinning the wire in one operation.

[NeneExists]

A method I've had some success with for the lacquer coated wire, is dip the wire into flux, pick up a large blop of solder on the tip of the iron, and run the hot solder onto it.

It melts off the (non heat resistant) lacquer, and tins it at the same time, whilst the flux turns the melted lacquer into gloop.

[silmishan]

Thanks Big Clive, you helped me to put the happiness back in my 4 year old son's face.

I am from India. They use these wires around the big balloon toy they sell on the beach. This toy has 3 modes to control the led lights. After few days the balloon will lose its gas and becomes saggy.

I took the wires and the battery setup separately and spun it around my Son's cycle. He just loved it.

Somehow the wire got cut and one part of the led strips stopped working. I just tried to twist the wires together it did not work

Only after seeing your video I learnt that these wires also have + - and there is an invisible coating which separates these wires getting short circuited. I just polished the cut edges with a paper knife and twisted the wires together and it worked

My kid is super happy :)

[anitaguerramikessister]

Big Clive! You are my hero! Two years ago I installed a 12v strand around my deck. Then last year we got 2 puppies who found the little LEDs under the lips of the steps irresistible! Needless to say they were damaged beyond repair. The pups are grown now so I decided to replace the lights. Wouldn't you know that as I got 3/4 through with the job (hot gluing them under the rail caps), I accidentally severed all three wires! As I searched the web for help I saw your diagram and thought "whoa, this is a guy who could help". I am a 60 year old grandma who has no training, but who loves to tinker. First try and they worked! The break was right after a set of 25, where the polarity reversed, and it was a simple task to to trace the wires and figure which went where! I used a propane torch, followed by sandpaper, to remove the varnish. Piece of cake. Thank you so much! I will be following you!

[jmeA]

This morning I was weed whacking and wasn't paying attention and accidentally cut one of my strings of solar power LEDs that go around my front garden. If it wasn't for this video I could cry because it would have ruined the entire strand it took me over an hour to set up. Thank you for making this video! Now fingers crossed and hope that I can get it to work!