Safety Tips for Holiday Decorating
Now is the perfect time to start decorating for the holidays. What better way to increase holiday anticipation than spending a few days preparing the home for festivities? While decorating can be fun, it can also increase the risk of damage to the home. Every year, holiday decorations harm people and property, either directly or indirectly.
Every owner should take action to avoid electrical problems during the holidays. Here are some tips from local electrical experts to help make the holidays exciting without the risks.
Incandescent vs. LED Holiday Lights
Learning mundane details about different types of lighting doesn’t help set the tone for the holidays. However, discussing this is necessary for owners who wish to lower their power bills, enhance their decorations, and prevent accidents.
Previously, all holiday decorations were made with incandescent bulbs. Some homeowners may still have a few strands lying around since they tend to last a long while. However, most modern lighting is made from LEDs, and chances are that if decorations were purchased in the last few years, they would be made with LED technology.
Most safety problems originate from incandescent bulbs. Incandescents produce a lot of heat as they burn, increasing the fire risk. Because they waste energy by outputting heat, they also draw a lot of power, making them expensive and increasing the likelihood of damaging electrical systems.
On the other hand, LEDs use much less power and produce little heat. Upgrading holiday lighting to LEDs can save owners a lot of money on energy bills while reducing the risk of problems.
Designing a Safe Holiday Display
Holiday decorating takes place indoors and outdoors. Decorating indoors carries fewer risks since there are no environmental factors to worry about. When decorations start going up outside, homeowners should take note of a few things.
First, all decorations should be inspected before they are installed. Owners should check for damaged or exposed wiring, and damaged decorations should be replaced instead of installed.
Secondly, outdoor decorations will be designated as such. Outdoor lighting strands will be double-insulated to protect against the weather and wear and tear.
Third, pay special attention to the number of lighting strands that can be connected. Break up large groupings and distribute them to different outlets or circuits. Finally, never use extension cords to plug outdoor decorations into indoor circuits.
Electrical Safety Tips
One of the most common problems associated with holiday decorations is fire and electrical problems. Taking time to learn the dos and don’ts of electrical safety can help lower the risk of fires and shocks and reduce the work on the electrical system. For holiday decorating:
- Do:
- Inspect all decorations
- Test outdoor GFCI devices for proper function
- Only plug outdoor displays into GFCI outlets
- Minimize the use of extension cords
- Only use one extension cord per run
- Call electricians to install extra outlets if necessary
- Don’t:
- Overload outlets with outlet extenders or power strips
- Overload circuits
- String together too many lighting strands
- Leave decorations on all night- use timers instead
- Bypass safety precautions for convenience
About Southwest Florida Electric Inc.
Southwest Florida Electric Inc. specializes in electrical services for homes and businesses. They can quickly enhance holiday decorating by installing outdoor lighting or adding outlets. Call today for electrical services in Fort Myers, FL.
The first two items on this list of recommendations may not seem to fall under the authority of electricians. However, according to codes, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are essential electronic equipment that must be installed in the home. Smoke detectors are small devices that detect tiny amounts of combusted material in the air. When triggered, they sound a loud alarm to get everyone’s attention. These devices should be installed in:
The second device that homeowners can rely on electricians to install is carbon monoxide detectors.
There are nearly 800 structure fires related to electrical decorations every year. While incidents happen, many of these fires could be avoided using proper precautions and safe handling. The best place to start is to carefully inspect any decoration that requires electricity. Inspecting could alert a homeowner to any concerning elements or damage and make them aware of any potential hazards for safe use.
One of the most common mistakes homeowners make is leaving their homes or going to bed and not shutting down candles and electrical components. Unplugging lights and blowing out any candles is important before going to bed.
Avoid Overloaded Circuits and Outlets
Childproofing Outlets
Another way to keep holiday light installations and decorating safe is to avoid an overloaded outlet and circuit, which usually happens when too much power is drawn from a single source. To counter this, homeowners should spread the power draw around by connecting their holiday decor to different outlets to avoid
Sometimes, homeowners may notice signs that indicate an electrical problem while decorating for holidays. It’s essential to have an electrician perform the required repairs before the home uses more electricity for holiday lighting and decorations. Some signs that indicate electrical repair is needed include the following:
One of the easiest ways to improve the safety of a home is by installing
Like smoke detectors,
The following devices can help prevent dangerous electrical hazards:
A power surge is a sudden and intense increase in the voltage of an electrical circuit. These surges can be caused by lightning, power outages, or high-powered electrical devices. They can cause damage to electronic devices, leading to costly repairs or replacements and even fire in some cases.
Everyone has seen the stereotypical picture of a dangerously overloaded outlet with wires sprouting like branches from a tree. This is not the only way to
Neglecting to replace old or damaged wires and outlets can result in serious risks.
Halloween comes but once a year, and that means that the decorations spend the majority of the time in storage, where it is easy for things to go unnoticed. Before setting up and plugging in decorations every year, a person should inspect them for damaged cords and wires.
Even if a person is not looking for a display to rival the Griswold’s Christmas lights, they should still be strategic about where things need to be plugged in. Overloading outlets causes electrical fires at worst, and at best, things will not work as they should. Below are a few safety tips for plugging in outdoor decorations:
Overloading outlets is when too many devices are plugged into one outlet. It is one of the leading causes of electrical fires. Too much strain is put on the wiring when an outlet is overloaded. This can cause the wires to overheat and start a fire. 