Holiday Safety Tips ~ of the Electrical Variety
Victoria Meade • September 11, 2019
Light up Safely this Holiday Season!
Another new school year has begun in South Texas; and in less than a month, summer will slowly begin to fade into fall. You know what that means?
THE HOLIDAYS ARE UPON US!
Soon, It’ll be time to start planning those fun Halloween parties with spooky décor, costumes, and trick or treating...moving on to the many family dinners where we give thanks and indulge in turkey with all the trimmings...which then segues into “HoHoHo” and all the jazz of decorating your home with twinkling lights, and unwrapping loads of gifts, as well as the tidings of comfort joy that the holidays can bring.
Unfortunately, the Holidays can also bring about an increase of electrical accidents and worse, house fires.
Each year, the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) launches a national safety awareness
campaign to encourage safety throughout the holiday season.
Below we've listed some electrical safety tips for the season.
Happy decorating!
What can you do to help keep your family safe from electrical mishaps this holiday season?
Before you begin your decorating extravaganza that would make a Griswold jealous, your best course of action is to determine how many outlets are available to dedicate for your decorations. Make yourself a note where they're located; and plan your displays (for both indoor and outdoor decorations/ lighting) to allow for adequate spacing.
Keep in mind that its always best to use electrical decorations that are approved by Underwriters Laboratories. “UL” will be listed on the box label for approved decorations. When manufacturers are UL certified , it shows their continued commitment to safety and quality.
Always be sure to inspect your electrical decorations before using them to make certain they are in good working condition. Plug your lights in first, before wrapping them around your tree for an hour, only to find they don't work. You should specifically, make sure to check your lights for frayed or cracked wires; and make sure there is a bulb in each light socket. You can never be too careful! We don't want tiny fingers or tree fibers finding their way into an open socket!
When you’re hanging your electrical decorations, it’s best to use safety clips where you can. You shouldn’t use thumb tacks, or hammer nails around electrical cords, even staples run the risk of piercing through and damaging the electrical wires, which can very quickly become electrical hazards when placed around shrubs, trees, curtains…etc.
Make sure that if you’re decorating outdoors, you’re using outdoor decorations. Same rules apply for Indoors. There’s a reason why they’re labeled as such and marketed the way they are.
Indoor electrical decorations should be kept away from any curtains, furniture, carpeting, or other flammable materials such as fireplaces and candles.
Do not connect cords that have different numbers of lights...
- This is a very common mistake a lot of people make while decorating with Christmas lights. You never want to connect a 100 count light set to a 50 count light set. If you do, the 50 count light set will burn out prematurely. The same applies for any other combination of lights.
Then there’s the age old question “How many lights can I string together?”
- You can most likely connect 3 to 5 strings of traditional incandescent bulbs together before you hit the limit. Also, it's one circuit per 216 watts, not one outlet; if you decide to add more lights, you need to use an outlet on a different circuit.
Consider purchasing LED lights which do cost more, but use a lot less energy and run much cooler than traditional incandescent light bulbs. They’ll save you on your holiday electric bill too!
Avoid twisting, kinking, or crushing your lighting or your electrical cords. This can cause fraying and cracking of your wires, and that can lead to fires!
Make certain you don't overload your outlets. This can lead to many issues such as tripping breakers, burning outlets, and causing fires as well! Not the best way to make the Holidays merry or bright.
A super handy trick is to use timers for your electric decorations. Set your timers to control your lighting so you don’t have to worry about turning them off and on, and if you will be away from your home for an extended period of time, the timer can do all the work and it will appear that you are still home!
The best decorations are safe decorations, so when you’re on the job, make sure not to run cords under rugs or furniture. You also want to prevent tripping, and the accidental unplugging of your cords; which can lead to sparking. Try placing cords and decorations in more low-traffic areas, or securing them against baseboards, and never ever put your cords out the window!
Holiday décor can be set in place for a month (or several), so it’s best to check on your lights and decorations throughout the season to make certain they continue to operate safely. If any wires fray or bulbs go out, replace them pronto!
Holiday decorations aren’t made for year-round use, so be sure to take them down when the holidays are over, and make certain to properly store your lights to avoid wire deterioration. Wrapping them around a square piece of cardboard works wonders to store them with zero tangling!
If you’re planning on using extension cords or adapters that add receptacles for your decorating, you might consider having one of our qualified electricians come out and add more outlets to your home instead. You know you’re going to use them, and the upgrade will be fruitful year round!
One of the best gifts you can give your family is an Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter breaker(s) or outlet(s). Many electrical fires that occur every year could be prevented by AFCIs.
Not sure what to get your significant other for the Holidays? Why not give the Gift of Light, and upgrade the lighting in your home?
If you're needing to add receptacles, switches, or maybe even some recessed lighting to showcase your Holiday decor, give us a call at Bolt Electric! Our skilled and licensed Electricians offer Residential upgrades, repairs, and much more!
Give us a call today to get those projects started!
We can't wait to work with you!
Bolt Electric, LLC
13106 Lookout Way
San Antonio, TX 78233
(210) 545-BOLT (2658)
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