Holiday lighting is a great way to give your home a festive look for the holidays. However, when not used properly, lights can create dangerous hazards and even cause fires. By taking the proper precautions both inside and outside of your home, you can prevent hazards and focus on friends and family during the holidays.
Holiday lighting safety tips:
Replace incandescent string lights with LED string lights
Unlike incandescent bulbs that burn hot and pose a fire risk, LED’s are cool to the touch and reduce the risk of fire hazards. LED holiday lights save energy and money. Upfront they can be more expensive to buy than traditional incandescent lights, but LED lights cost much less to operate, making them a more affordable, energy efficient option.
Besides cost savings, LED holiday lights are frustration free, if one bulb does break or go out the other lights on the string won’t go out. LED holiday lights can last up to 40 holiday seasons.
Inspect string lights for damage
Look for frayed or cracked electrical cords and broken sockets. If you find that your string lights are damaged discard them, because this is the leading cause of holiday fire hazards.
Replace burned out bulbs
Empty sockets can cause the entire string of lights to overheat.
Make sure outdoor lighting is UL rated for exterior use
Exterior lights, unlike those used inside the house, need to be weather-resistant. The same goes for any extension cords used outdoors. Lights should be approved by Underwriters Laboratory (UL). UL will be displayed on the tag, signifying the product has been inspected for potential safety hazards. Red UL marks indicate the lights are safe for indoor/outdoor use, and green UL marks indicate the lights are only safe for indoor use.
Don’t attach strings of lights with nails or staples
Nails and staples cut through the wire insulation and create a fire hazard. Instead, use UL approved clips to safely attach lights to the house.
Plug in outdoor lights and decorations into GFCI outlets (if possible)
GFCIs help prevent electric shock by breaking the circuit when differences in the currents of hot and neutral wires occur.
Use heavy duty outdoor extension cords
Only use cords outdoors if they are designated for outdoor usage.
Don’t overload extension cords
Use no more than three sets of standard lights per cord.
Place cords in low traffic areas
Placing cords in low traffic areas will prevent people from tripping, walking on or crushing cords.
Make sure holiday lights are not touching flammable items
Indoor holiday lights should not touch furniture, drapes or carpeting.
Use a timer for holiday lights
This will save you on energy bills and prevent you from forgetting to turn off lights and risking a fire hazard from overheating.
Take exterior lights down right after the holidays
The longer they stay up, the more likely they are to suffer damage from weather and critters chewing on them.
Store lights safely
Tangled lights can lead to damaged cords and broken sockets.
Don’t forget to periodically check lights and decorations throughout the season to ensure they continue to operate safely.
Best Heating & Cooling wishes you and your family a happy holiday season!