How to Change the Bulbs in a Blown Up Snow Globe

A giant, light-up inflatable snow globe can make your front yard festive, but if the decoration goes dark, it will ruin the effect. These festive decorations are not inexpensive, so troubleshooting a possibly faulty bulb can be a palatable alternative to replacing the entire thing. If you know how to change the bulb, you can save your Christmas blow-up snow globe and give it new life .

Check the lights in your snow globe a few days before you plan to put up the decorations. This will make it easier to replace any faulty bulbs. Various companies make electric snow globes, so the bulbs are changed a little differently depending on the manufacturer. For Global Creations snow globes, you can start by blowing up the globe, seeing which lights are out and locating the zippers on the outside and the one on the inside character (often a snowman).

Unplug the globe and open the zippers while there is still some air inside. Reach inside the zipper closest to the dead light bulb where you should feel a plastic light bulb cover. Gently open this and remove the light bulb housed inside. It may be attached to the fabric with a ribbon, so be careful in its removal. Determine what kind of bulb it is. Your local hardware store may sell replacements, or you can get them online or from the manufacturer. Install the replacement bulbs with the globe turned off and see if it lights up.

If you have a Gemmy snow globe, you will have to deflate it before changing the bulbs. Unzip the zipper closest to the bulb; it may or may not be on the bottom. These also have light covers, which you will need to squeeze sideways to free the bulbs. The company's Airblown light bulbs are either C7 watt or mini light bulbs, which are also easy to find in stores.

After you replace one bulb, plug the globe back in and check the others. You may have to replace more than one.

Note that if you keep your electric snow globe running all the time, you may have to replace the bulbs often. If you do not have room to store the box that your electric snow globe came in, take photos of the label that has the instructions and light bulb sizes so that you have them handy for the future.

Outdoor snow globes do well in normal and light weather conditions, including gentle snowfalls and rain, but you must protect them from the harsher elements. They can survive below-freezing temperatures, but if the weather drops below 20 degrees Fahrenheit or so, bring your decoration inside. Do not leave inflatable snow globes outside if a heavy storm is expected. If it gets drenched with water or covered with snow, it can get damaged. Heavy winds can also damage snow globes.

You can clean your outdoor snow globe with a mild detergent and water, but use a damp cloth, and do not hose the decoration down. If it develops tears, you can fix them with tent repair tape or clear packing tape; you can also try sewing up small rips with thread (any kind will work). The manufacturer's warranty may cover broken parts like the fan, but these are usually only 90 days or so.