Christmas Electrical Safety Tips

Christmas Electrical Safety Tips: nothing says Christmas like a beautiful holiday light display. However, with all the sparkling lights, lighted inflatables, and other temporary electrical installations that are part of the decorations, comes the inherent risk of taxing our home’s electrical system to power all of these displays. Keep the following tips in mind to ensure a very Merry Christmas, and a safe and Happy New Year!

Before you start stringing lights on your house or on your Christmas tree, be sure to give your electrical decorations a good “once over” to check for any damage. Watch for broken or damaged sockets, bare wires and loose connections. These are all potentially dangerous and could give you a shock or possibly start a fire.
Overloaded electrical outlets and circuits are a common cause of fires. Add up the current requirements of the load you are connecting to the loads already on the particular circuit you are using.
If you are using non-GFCI circuits, then purchase cords or devices that provide portable, in-line GFI protection. These can be bought at most home improvement stores or online retailer locations.
Turn off all turn off all indoor and outdoor electrical decorations before leaving home or going to sleep.
Don’t use electrical decorations or light strings on artificial trees with metallic leaves or branch coverings. They can facilitate an electrical short circuit should they accidentally come into contact with live wires or broken bulbs.