As you decide what decorations to use for the holiday season, you also need to think about how you will keep your home safe. Consider trying these practical safety tips for holiday lighting this year.
1. Inspect the Lights
Before you hang any lights inside or outside of your home, inspect them for damage. Damage like frayed wires and broken bulbs make the lights unsafe to use because they can spark and cause a fire. You can easily replace bulbs on most commercial light strings, but damage to the wiring itself is a bigger concern. Rather than using damaged strands of holiday lights, you should replace them with new ones for decorating.
2. Repair Outlets and Wiring
Damaged outlets and wiring can also put the safety of your house at risk this holiday season. Before you hang and plug in your lights, inspect the outlets and wiring to ensure they are safe. Hire an experienced and licensed local electrician in the Minneapolis area to repair or replace any damaged inside or outside outlets and wiring.
3. Use LED Lighting
You can also make your home safer this holiday season by using LED lights. LED holiday lights do not burn as hot as incandescent lightbulbs. They are also more energy efficient, allowing you to keep your lights on without running up your monthly electric bill.
4. Follow the Manufacturer’s Instructions
Even if you consider yourself an adept holiday decorator, you should still follow the manufacturer’s instructions for hanging and using your lights. These instructions maximize the safe use of the lights and keep your home safe from risks like short-circuiting. They also reduce the risk of damage to your outlets and wiring.
5. Avoid Overloading Circuits
As much as you may want to save space or use as many strands of lights as possible, you should avoid overloading the circuits in your home. Overloaded circuits result in tripped breakers. They can also overheat, causing outlets to spark and lights to catch on fire. If your home can’t handle the amperage of all the lights and decorations, you’ll need to rewire it, upgrade your electrical panel, or save some of those lights for next year.
6. Use Outdoor-rated Manufacturer-certified Lights
For your outdoor lighting, use lights that are rated and manufacturer-certified for outdoor use. This type of lighting can withstand weather elements like rain and snow without short-circuiting or burning out. They also shine brighter than indoor lights, which can make your holiday display look more appealing.
7. Secure the Lights Properly
Secure your holiday lights using masking tape, hooks or clips. Avoid using nails or staples to keep them in place. These materials can puncture the wires, ruining your lights’ function or causing problems like sparking and disrupted circuits. You could even use weatherproof tape like mastic tape to hang lights from your porch railing or windows.
8. Keep Lights Away from Flammables
Even if you use LED lights, the risk of fire always exists if you place on or near flammable materials. Ensure the lights do not touch your curtains, sofa, carpeting, untreated wood shelves and other materials that can catch on fire easily.
9. Turn Off Unattended Lights
When you are away at work or out running errands, make sure you turn off your holiday lights before you leave. Unattended lights can put your home at a higher risk of a fire. Only plug in and use the lights when you are at home to monitor them.
10. Use Timers
You can also use smart technology to set up a schedule for your holiday lighting. For example, you can schedule the lights to turn on at dusk and then turn off by midnight. This technology spares you from having to remember to turn them on and off yourself.
11. Keep Your Extension Cords Dry
Safe holiday lighting calls for you to keep your extension cords dry. You can keep them dry by avoiding running them across snowy or wet grass. Instead, run them along paved surfaces like your driveway or sidewalk. You can also cover them in plastic casings to keep them dry.
12. Use GFCI Outlets
You can also use GFCI, or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, outlets for safe holiday lighting. These outlets meet safety and building standards and have sensors in them that can detect any changes in the electrical current. If the current changes, the sensors prompt the outlet to shut down power to that line.
13. Do Not Run Cords Under the Rugs
When you hang holiday lights inside your home, do not run any extension cords under the rug or carpeting. If the cord short-circuits or overheats, it can catch the rug or carpet on fire. Run the cord along the mopboards or secure them to your walls to avoid this risk.
14. Use Outdoor-rated Extension Cords
When you use extension cords outside your home for your holiday lights, be sure to use those that are rated for outdoor use. These cords are designed to function during all types of weather. They also have water-resistant covers and corrosion-proof plugs.
15. Keep Lights Away from Water
As you hang your lights, you should keep them away from water. Avoid placing them near your outdoor fountain or swimming pool, for example. If the strands of lights come into contact with water, they can short-circuit. They can also electrocute anyone who touches them.
16. Avoid Using Old Lights
Old holiday lights may look nostalgic. However, chances are they no longer comply with current safety standards. Rather than use old lights that could spark, overheat and burst, you should replace them with brand-new holiday lights that meet current safety codes.
17. Minimize Wind Damage
The winters in the Minneapolis area can get quite windy. As you hang your outdoor lights, figure out a way to keep them from coming loose and flying around during windy weather, which can result in broken bulbs and frayed strands. For example, you could use zip ties to tightly secure the lights.
18. Keep Children and Pets Away
Holiday decorations often catch the attention of small children and pets. However, both your children and your pets can knock down and break your holiday lights. To prevent children from grabbing, pulling on and breaking bulbs or your pets chewing through wires, you should keep them away from your lights.
19. Avoid Overlapping Wires
In your bid to create the most appealing display, you might contemplate overlapping the lights’ wires. However, overlapping wires can cause the lights to overheat. Separate the wires while hanging the lights to keep your home safer during the holidays.
20. Store Your Lights Safely
After the holidays come to an end, store your indoor and outdoor lights safely. This tip can include keeping them in a waterproof tote and in a dry, cool place to prevent them from rusting, corroding or fraying. You can then look forward to using them safely for the next holiday season.
At Finch Home Solutions, we provide top-tier electrical services like repairs and installations to help our customers in the Minneapolis area enjoy safe holiday lights. Our licensed and insured team of electricians installs fixtures like outlets, lights, EV chargers and smoke alarms. We won the Angi’s List Super Service Award in 2022 and have accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. Home Advisor also recognizes us as a top-rated screened and approved elite service provider. Contact us at Finch Home Solutions to learn more about our array of professional electrical services today!
