As the holidays draw near, many people will begin bringing out their Christmas lights and icicles hidden in storage units to hang them up in celebration of the holidays. Perhaps you are this year’s host of the annual dinner or having a Christmas sleepover with the entire family. Remember, no matter what celebrations you will be hosting this year, safety is always the number priority. You do not want an electrical shortage, fire, or worse—a serious injury.
Family dinners, decorating your home, and all of the other merriment that the holidays bring can also bring an increase in the likelihood of electrical accidents and home fires follow these tips to keep your home safe and happy this holiday season.
- Inspect all electrical decorations for damage before use. If you notice cracked or damaged sockets, loose or bare wires, and loose connections, do not attempt to use these as they are hazardous and may cause a serious shock or start a fire. Tip: LED lights are the best. Not only will they use up to much less power, but they run cooler, are less of a fire hazard and are long-lasting.
- Most of us use extension cords when decorating for the holidays. Do you know if your extension cords are properly rated for their intended use? According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, faulty extension cords cause 3,300 residential fires each year, resulting in 50 deaths and 270 injuries.
- Do not overload electrical outlets. Overloaded electrical outlets are the number one cause of electrical fires during the holiday season. Avoid overloading outlets and plugging high wattage appliances into one outlet.
- Never connect more than three strings of incandescent lights at a time. More than three strands can blow a fuse, and is also high risk to cause a fire because the wires overheat.
- Water your tree. Dry trees are a fire hazard!
- Protect cords from damage. To avoid shock or fire hazards, cords should never be pinched by furniture, forced into small spaces such as doors or windows, placed under rugs, or attached by nails or staples.
- Turn off, unplug, all decorations and extinguish all candles before going to sleep or leaving your home.
- Keep candles away from anything flammable – especially a Christmas tree. Also pay attention to what is above candles; the hottest place is right above a candle. Paper, cardboard, synthetic fabrics and decorations can all easily catch fire.
Holiday decorating is a fun experience that you can share with your family and friends. The lights, candles, trees, and other decorations are a wonderful sight to see during the month of December. While they are beautiful, they can also be dangerous if the proper safety precautions are not taken. Following these few safety tips for the holidays can help prevent any fires or damage to your home.
Source: https://wentzelheatingandair.com/holiday-electrical-safety-tips/ Accessed on September 7, 2022