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Hi everyone, I have an outdoor Christmas light which is Santa on a bike. Got home the other day and half of it wasn't working. I opened up the wee filter box that was inline with the part that wasn't working and found this mess. Google tells me that the yellow bit is an x2 safety capacitor but what is the wee resistor thing in front of it?
I have found a replacement cable that has the filter, but I'm wanting to have a go at repairing it since I'm not too bad with a soldering iron.
Or is it just not worth the bother!
Thanks!
Smoothing Capacitor and fuse. Behind are 4diodes making the bridge rectifier. RS or CPC for spares. Maybe Amazon.
Looks very much like a glass fuse.
That board also looks like a bridge rectifier, (makes AC into DC). Doesn’t look well made.
Odd, the post above my almost identical post wasn’t there when I posted it. Oh well, glad someone agrees with me
Have you identified the fault that caused it to draw too much current in the first place? I mean possibly that's had water ingress and shorted. But maybe not, in which case you are wasting your time.
It looks pretty shoddy either way.
Insert anecdote about cheap Christmas lights burning people's houses down.
Thanks everyone, this is all very useful information. I will look to have a go at repairing it.
I can't imagine it being a high quality construction, but it has lasted for three Christmases so far. We have had some pretty horrific rain recently, so perhaps there was a wee bit water ingress (or more likely it was just crap).
For reference, here is me and (some of) the lights last year. Santa on the bike is my favourite though.
I'd be asking myself why it's already had a good go at setting itself on fire... Not sure I'd be repairing it.
It’s good to have a before and after picture for the insurance!
When you've fixed it, put a smaller fuse in than the one it has now...