The holiday season is a time for joy, family gatherings, and festive decorations. However, with the excitement of Christmas lights and other electrical decor, it’s easy to overlook safety precautions. Faulty wiring, overloaded circuits, and improper installations can lead to serious hazards, including electrical fires. That’s why taking a few moments to ensure your home is electrically safe is essential.
Inspect Your Lights and Decorations
Before plugging in your Christmas lights and other electric decorations, inspect them thoroughly. Be especially vigilant in inspecting decorations that are older. Look for frayed wires, cracked sockets, bent plugs, or any visible damage. Even minor issues can increase the risk of short circuits and fires. If you spot any damage, replace the lights rather than attempting a repair.
When purchasing new lights, opt for those with a UL (Underwriters Laboratories) label. This certification ensures the lights meet safety standards. Outdoor lights should specifically be rated for outdoor use, as they are designed to withstand weather conditions.
Avoid Overloading Circuits
Holiday lights and decorations can quickly add to your electrical load. Plugging too many devices into one outlet or power strip can overwhelm your circuit, causing a breaker to trip—or worse, leading to overheating.
To prevent this, spread your electrical decorations across multiple circuits. Use extension cords and power strips designed to handle the wattage of your lights and decor. If your home’s electrical capacity isn’t enough to handle all the decorations, it will cause frequent breaker tips. If this happens, you need to unplug some of them and decide which ones not to plug in this year.
Your other option is to hire an electrician to upgrade your electrical panel and possibly rewire your home, at least partially, so it can handle the extra amperage. Repeated circuit breaker trips should be avoided, as it signals a problem that needs to be addressed in order for your home to operate safely.
Use Timers for Better Energy Management
Timers are an excellent way to manage your holiday lighting and save on energy costs. Set your lights to turn on during the evening and off when you go to bed. This reduces the risk of electrical issues caused by lights left on for extended periods and keeps your energy bills in check.
Smart plugs are another great option to control lights remotely via a smartphone app. These give you a way to manage electrical loads more efficiently, setting custom schedules.
Don’t Chain Extension Cords Together
Connecting multiple extension cords to add to their length can cause all kinds of problems, including electrical fires and burnt-out electronics. Daisy-chaining extension cords overloads them, sending more energy through than they’re designed to handle, causing them to overheat. The risk is especially high if the linked cords run under a rug, behind furniture, or close to a Christmas tree, since these items are flammable.
Even if it doesn’t cause a fire, the heat can cause the cord to melt and burn out, or can damage the decoration that is connected to it.
Secure Cords Properly
Cords running across walkways or under rugs create tripping hazards and potential fire risks. Instead, run cords along walls or tuck them neatly out of foot traffic areas. Use clips or tape specifically designed for securing cords to keep them in place.
Avoid stapling or nailing cords, as this can damage their protective insulation. Damaged cords are more likely to spark or short out, posing a fire and shock risk.
Be Mindful of Outdoor Lighting
If you’re decorating outside, ensure all electrical connections are weatherproof. Use outdoor-rated extension cords and plug connections into ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets. These outlets will automatically shut off power if they detect electrical imbalances, reducing the risk of shock or fire.
They’re required for any outlets that are outside or near water-using appliances, such as in kitchens, but older homes may not have them. Also make sure that any outdoor outlets have covers to protect them from the elements.
When stringing lights on trees or shrubs, avoid attaching them to metallic objects. This precaution minimizes the chance of electric shock during wet conditions. Last but not least, use extreme care if you’re putting up any roof decorations. Never put them up during wet or snowy conditions and be sure to use ladders correctly, following all the recommended safety guidelines.
Also, avoid attaching lights or decorations to gutters. Gutters can conduct electricity, and attaching anything to your home gutter system can damage it. Also avoid attaching outdoor decorations at night, when visibility is poorer.
Keep Heat Sources in Check
Holiday decorations often include inflatables, lit-up ornaments, or other items that generate heat. Keep these decorations away from flammable materials like curtains, paper, or dry foliage.
Ensure your Christmas tree is well-hydrated if it’s real.
A dry tree is highly flammable and poses a significant risk if exposed to heat sources. If you light a menorah instead of decorating a tree, be extremely careful of the open flames. An electric menorah is a much safer option and doesn’t require much energy.
Test Smoke Detectors and Fire Extinguishers
While focusing on holiday fun, it’s also a good time to ensure your home’s safety systems are functioning. Test all smoke detectors and replace batteries if needed. Keep a fire extinguisher in an accessible location, and make sure everyone in your household knows how to use it.
It’s also important to have a pre-season fire drill, ensuring that everyone in the family knows what to do if a fire alarm goes off. In an emergency, never try to save possessions, just make sure everyone evacuates the home. You want to be sure that everyone in the family knows how to respond to a house fire, and a little practice goes a long way.
Rely on Professional Help When Needed
If you’re planning a holiday light display or like putting up lots of electronic decorations, consult a licensed electrician to ensure your electrical system can handle the load. Professionals can inspect your wiring and circuits to prevent potential hazards. We can also install safe outdoor outlets, whole-home surge protection, and other upgrades that ensure your home is ready and safe all season long.
Avoid attempting complex electrical installations yourself. Mistakes can lead to costly damage, unsafe conditions, fires, code violations, and voided warranties. It’s always better to trust the experts when it comes to electrical work to prevent safety issues and headaches.
Educate Your Family About Electrical Safety
Everyone in your household should understand basic electrical safety, especially during the holidays. Teach children to avoid pulling on cords, connecting extension cords together, interacting with decorations, or playing near electrical outlets. Encourage family members to unplug decorations when not in use and report any electrical issues immediately. Contact us for any 24/7 emergency services!
Planning ahead with these tips will help ensure that your holiday lights and decorations shine brightly without creating unnecessary risks. But if you need a little extra help, or added electrical capacity to safely handle all those plug-in holiday decorations, our team of electricians can help. AC by J’s electrical experts provide the full range of electrical services in Scottsdale as well as providing for all your professional plumbing, heating, and cooling needs.
Contact us today to find out how to make your holiday season safe and stress-free.
