The holiday season is here, which means Christmas lights, trees and other holiday decorations have been taken out of storage and placed in homes everywhere. Many of these decorations use a lot of electricity, which can increase your energy bill as well as increase the risk of electrical accidents and home fires.
One of the biggest mistakes that you can make this season is not protecting yourself and your home from potential risks. With lots of electricity being used this season, your home is at risk for electrical fires. Since it is also cold, you want to be sure that you are being safe with space heaters around your holiday decorations.
Are you someone who likes to decorate with lights? Be sure that you are well prepared for everything you need to know when it comes to decorating. Here are some tips you should be aware of in order to keep things safe!
Electrical safety tips for the Holidays:
- Before you start decorating, it’s smart to plan out where your decorations are going to go. This is imperative for your electrical safety. You should determine where any wall outlets are, and how many devices can fit in each. You don’t want too many decorations plugged into one outlet, and having a game plan is very helpful.
- Inspect your electrical decorations to ensure they are safe and still working. This can be as easy as checking for frayed wires, cracks and making sure no light sockets are broken.
- When hanging exterior lights, be cautious of electrical lines. Lights that are hung up too close to electrical lines can increase the likelihood of a fire starting.
- When purchasing decorations, it may be a good idea to buy a “fire-resistant” tree. This doesn’t exactly mean the tree won’t catch fire, but reduces the chances and is much easier to put out if a fire were to happen. Also before you leave the store, consider purchasing LED Christmas lights for your interior decorations. These lights generally don’t get as hot as traditional bulbs, and will also help you save money on your energy bill.
- When decorating, make sure outdoor decorations are being used outside and the same with interior ones. Not doing so can expose interior decorations to harsh weather conditions and increase the risk of an interior fire.
- Protect your cords from getting damaged. Make sure your cords are out of reach for young children and pets, as well as away from anything else that could damage it, such as doors or furniture.
- Don’t overload wall outlets. This is one of the most important things to understand to ensure your home stays safe. Overloading outlets with extension cords that are connected to a number of devices or even other extension cords increases the risk of a fire. Know the amount of power you are plugging in. Some recommend that each outlet should not exceed 1.500 watts.
- Make sure you are shutting off decorations and lights before you go to bed or when you’re not home. This will help you save money on your electric bill and ensure your home is safe while you are gone.
- Lastly, properly taking down decorations and storing them after the season is over is very important. Try to store your decorations out of reach of children and pets.
Don’t let your holidays be ruined by some sort of electrical accident - properly prepare your home and yourself for all of your beautiful decorations by properly practicing good electrical safety! Whether it is a Christmas tree, outdoor lights or space heaters, be sure that you know exactly what safety tips precautions to take in order to keep things safe and beautiful all season long! Contact us today if you need some help with lights or appliances before the holidays!