Holiday Lighting Safety

If you have not already, you are probably starting to dig up your lights and décor to set up and decorate for the holiday season.  A lot of time and money is spent on these decorations and buying them again each year would not make sense, when you can simply keep them organized and in good working order.  You can re-use the lights and décor for years to come.  As frustrating as they can be, they are worth it once put up.  The beauty of holiday lights is something people continue to go back year after year.  It is a fact that having your holiday lights up will make you happier, according to a study by Unilad.

Electricity is dangerous if not used properly.  It is important, especially when using so much extra power, to make sure you are doing things safely to prevent damage to your property or danger to yourself or others. 

Here are some tips for practicing safety when decorating your home for the holidays:

1. Make sure your lights are UL or ETL certified, these lights have been tested to be safe products.
2. LED lights are safer because they give off less heat and use less energy.
3. Older style lights with larger bulbs burn much hotter, try and replace those if possible.
4. Make sure you inspect every set of lights for any damaged, frayed or exposed wires.
5. Check the lights for broken sockets, loose connections and only use lights with fuses.
6. Do not use indoor lights or extension cords outside, make sure your outdoor lights are listed for outdoor use and used with an outdoor extension cord.
7. Install your outdoor lights into a GFCI and if you don’t have one call an electrician to install this.
8. Turn your lights off when you leave or go to bed at night.
9. When putting the lights away for the season wrap them loosely, do not pull or wrap your strings of lights too tightly as this can cause damage and frayed wires.

The holidays are a special time of year and you don’t want to give yourself extra things to worry about during this time.  If you make sure to practice safe decorating habits, you will be able to enjoy your decorations for years to come, worry-free.