By Dave Donovan
Decorating your home for the holidays is always a fun and exciting time, but it's no time to get lazy. Hundreds of homes each year are damaged by faulty electrical wiring at the holidays. Whether the cause is overloaded circuits or a bad extension cord, you have to make sure you're as safe as possible and using the best quality equipment you can find.
Here are a few simple ways you can ensure that your outdoor Christmas lighting is as safe as possible.
- Avoid using the larger seven-volt light bulbs. Sure, they are bigger and brighter, but they also burn much hotter than mini Christmas lights. One of the most common causes of holiday-time house fires results from these bulbs being too close to gutters filled with dried out leaves.
- Make sure that the strings of lights you are using outside have built-in fuses on the lines. Sometimes, these fuses are located in the actual plug.
- Make sure to use Christmas lights that are designated for outdoor use only. If you use indoor-rated lights, they may not be able to withstand the weather conditions which will cause them to break down much faster.
- You should only use Christmas lights and electric equipment that has been tested and verified by a reliable testing laboratory. Two reputable laboratories are UL and ETL. Any equipment or lights that have been tested safe will have one of their logos on the packaging. If it doesn't have it, don't use it!
- If you have a string of lights with a blown bulb, be sure to replace it with a bulb of the exact same wattage.
- Never tap into your home's feeder line to power your outdoor Christmas lights or hang decorations on the line.
- Avoid using nails, tacks or metal staples to secure your outdoor Christmas lights. Use insulated hooks instead, and be sure your lights are strung tightly to avoid damage from the wind.
- Use only outdoor rated extension cords. Plus, avoid connecting more than three strings of lights to a single extension cord.
- All plugs should be plugged into a GFCI protected outlet when used outside.
- When it comes time to take your Christmas decorations and lights, never remove the strings of lights by pulling on the wires. This causes the wires to break free from the sockets and the bulbs to break.
Decorating for Christmas doesn't seem so easy anymore, does it? Well, in truth, these tips don’t take that long to perform and imagine having to deal with a fire on Christmas Eve. Take the time, teach your kids these lifelong lessons and your Christmas decorations and lighting will be tops on the block.
Dave Donovan is a freelance writer living in Atco, NJ. An electrician for 15 years, an injury forced him to pursue his true passion - writing.
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