Candles won't work

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Well, poop. The three 4" LED taper candles I use in my window Christmas wreaths aren't working this year. They take 2 AAA batteries each. The first candle I put batteries in lit, turned it off, proceeded to put batteries in the other two. They wouldn't work, turned the first candle back on, it won't work now either. waaa. I bought them at Pat Catans two years ago and had the hardest time choosing just the right ones.

First I'll go buy a pack of fresh batteries to make sure that's not the problem. If not, back to the drawing board. Pat Catans don't always carry the same products year to year. :(

This isn't the best photo of the wreath, hit the submit button too quickly.

Featured Answer

User

9 years ago

I've used the erasers from #2 pencils to clean the battery terminals.

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Comments (11)

Elizabeth
9 years ago
The wreath is lovely anyway
happy2b…gw
9 years ago
I feel your pain. I hope the problem is the battery.
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morz8 - Washington Coast
9 years ago
Isn't that frustrating. What is it they do in storage between holidays - how many times have I carefully packed something, placed it in my warm dry clean basement shelves in good working order, not abused, and found it 'dead' for all purposes when taking it out again.

This year is was one of two heavy duty dawn to dusk timers for the outside lights that were new last season, and one of 13 strings of the icicle lights. It takes all 13 to reach from end to end on my low sprawled out house.

I hope you can find what you need, it seems like more and more places are carrying the battery holiday lamps/lights/candles these days. Pretty wreath! If you don't find the candles, I'm seeing the little battery op strings of tiny rice lights at much better prices now. I find those really cheerful, they make me smile.
moonie_57 (8 NC)
9 years ago
Clean and check the battery terminals. Could be something that simple.
schoolhouse_gw
Original Author
9 years ago
Just got back with fresh batteries - not the problem. moonie, the battery terminals are clean, just flat metal pieces on the battery case lid. And yeah, I tried putting batteries both upside down and right side up and switching. ha. Trying to will the candles to work I guess. I'm headed to Pat Catans tomorrow.

morz8 - dang. Had the same problem, but not as critical, with a lighted garland. I knew it couldn't last forever and when it burned out eventually I wrapped it in new lights. Those worked through one holiday season, last year only half of the light strand lit up. The timers were new last season? What a bummer. I'd call the company and complain, you never know they might do right by you.

I was amazed my Christmas tree lit up tonight for the third year in a row. I talked about my Alpine tree before and how many years I've had it. And I swear the original lights that came on it worked for the first 15yrs! They don't make 'em like they used to.

When I wrapped the tree up for storage last year, I must have left some of those pine scented wooden sticks on it or something because when you walk into the library the scent is overwhelming. ha.
User
9 years ago
Is it possible the bulbs have burned out?
schoolhouse_gw
Original Author
9 years ago
Hmmm. Not sure if the bulbs come out or not.
Worth checking. Thanks.

candles
jemdandy
9 years ago
Maybe you should change your supplier for LED lamps. LED lamps have electronic circuitry to drive the lamps. Well made LED should last for many hours. Usually, its the electronic circuitry that fails, especially if its made with low quality components.
ldstarr
9 years ago
My mother frequently has trouble with some candles she has. Usually, it is the switch that has gone bad. If I play with the switch for a while they will usually start working. You'll find that pushing in or pulling up on the switch while activating it is often the answer.
schoolhouse_gw
Original Author
9 years ago
I ended going back to Pat Catans for the same candles that seem to be not working anymore. However they only had two in the 4" size. Clerk said they will get more in next week. Bought the two, then decided to try a 6" candle in the wreaths thinking that may look better anyhow. Bought 2, 2-pks. of those to try.

Well I really like the 6" candles in the wreaths, but they don't have an on/off switch per se you turn the bottoms which contain the battery conduits just slightly and the candles of course go off. I don't want them on 24/7. We'll see how they look tonight when it gets dark. May look better from outside too.
I put a couple fresh sprigs of boxwood in around the bottoms of the candles to help them fit a little more snuggly.