Our 5 Holiday Lighting Safety Tips Everyone Should Know Before Decorating:
Bright Services LLC
The holiday season is a time for joy and celebration, but it’s also important to prioritize safety when decorating your home. On average, there are about 160 Christmas decoration-related injuries each day during the holiday season, with nearly half of the incidents involving falls. That’s why our team here at Winter Wonder Lights believes safety should never take a backseat to festive cheer when decorating this season. We created this guide here of 5 essential tips to keep in mind with lighting safety this holiday season.
Tip #1: Always inspect lights and cables before use.
Frayed wires and loose bulbs can pose a serious fire hazard. You want to make sure all lights are in good condition and only use products that meet safety standards. Additionally, you want to make sure you’re throwing out any old or broken lights. The price of new lights can sometimes be daunting, but it is far less expensive than replacing your valuable home. If you’re unsure about your equipment, consider hiring professionals like Winter Wonderlights, who use certified, pre-checked materials for every installation.
Winter Wonder Lights Pro Tip: If you want to up your safety this season, replace old, outdated lights with our LED lights this season. LED lights are cool to the touch and can help you waste less energy, saving you money and reducing the chances of a fire.
Tip #2: Avoid overloading your circuits.
Plugging too many lights and cords into a single outlet can cause overheating and potential electrical fires. To ensure proper safety when using extension cords and multiple connections to outlets we calculate the total wattage of the lights and ensure it doesn’t exceed the capacity of your outlets. As a rule of thumb, manufacturers recommend only plugging up to 3 sets of lights into one extension cord to prevent the chance of overheating and fires. Hiring professional installers who have the expertise to set up complex displays without compromising safety can be beneficial during the holiday season if you’re unsure how to properly hang up lights.
Winter Wonder Lights Pro Tip: We recommend not to string more than 3 strands of incandescent lights together but if you look for the UL note on the lighting box. It should indicate the number of lights that can be safely strung together.
Tip #3: Use proper outdoor extension cords and lights.
Make sure you are using lights according to their labels. You never want to use indoor lights or extension cords outdoors. Indoor lights and cords are not made equal to outdoor equipment and aren’t designed to withstand outdoor conditions which can lead to dangerous short circuits. Ensure all cords are rated for outdoor use and are properly insulated against moisture. Professionals like our team at Winter Wonder Lights take the stress away because we always use the right equipment to ensure your display is both safe and durable.
Winter Wonder Lights Pro Tip: We organize lights into different storage bins labeled indoor vs outdoor so we don’t mix the 2 when decorating this holiday season.
Tip #4: Ground Outdoor Christmas Lights
No matter where you have lights strung up this season, these lights and extension cords must be plugged into a proper outlet to keep your home safe and hazard-free. All lights should be plugged into ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets. These outlets are especially important for outdoor lights as they allow the outlet to cut the power before the overload causes your home's circuit breaker to trip.
Winter Wonder Lights Pro Tip: If your home doesn’t already have GFCI outlets, we recommend you invest in having them installed to keep your home safe from potential dangers or electrical shock.
Tip #5: Practice ladder safety
When it comes to holiday lights, more often than not, our experts have to get up on a ladder to install lights and decorations. It’s important to always have someone holding the base of the ladder and avoid leaning too far to the side while working. It’s important to always be cautious when someone is up on the ladder to prevent potentially serious injuries. If climbing ladders isn’t quite your thing or maybe you don’t have someone around to hold the ladder keeping you safe, let the professionals manage the job! Our team here at Winter Wonder Lights eliminates these risks for you with our fully insured installation services done by our trained team.