Decorating for Christmas and the New Year are fun pastimes that allow us to express the season’s joy, both outside and inside our homes and offices. However, that also means your electrical system needs to carry the increased demand without stressing it and creating potential safety issues. With that in mind, here are a few electrical tips from your local licensed electricians for the holidays.
Electrical Tips for Decorating Your Home
Below are a few tips from licensed electricians to keep your family and guests safe throughout the holiday season. Remember, if your area uses rolling outages to manage fire risk, you may need to consider that for your decorations and gatherings.
Don’t Overload Outlets
While adding just one extension cord and plugging it into your outlet might be tempting, you can risk overloading it. When you start putting up strings of lights in your house, office, or around the tree, you are putting additional strain on your electrical system, especially if you plug too many lights into one outlet. Electrical overloads can lead to shocks and potentially start fires.
Don’t Let Your Decorations Feel the Heat
Naturally, decorations, including your tree, will be throughout your home. To avoid potential hazards, ensure all your decorations are away from heat sources. This will ensure they do not get overly warm or the wiring is not damaged. Additionally, avoid letting children play with light strands or electrical decorations to reduce the risk of shock or accidental fires.
Avoid Cords in High Traffic Areas
During the holidays, increased traffic is bound to happen throughout your home. Ensure all electrical cords are out of high-traffic areas, caution licensed electricians. They also encourage avoiding running cords through doorways or hiding them under rugs and carpets.
Turn Off the Decorations
While you might be tempted to leave the tree’s lights on for a special glow in the otherwise darkened family room, the truth is that this could be a potential fire hazard. Always turn off all the lights before going to bed or leaving home. This could include unplugging them from the outlets to reduce potential risks further. If you like the glow of candles, consider using LED ones to minimize fire risk while reducing the demand on your electrical system.
Remember, Electricity and Water Don’t Mix
As more people are coming through your home, more water, snow, and mud are also being tracked in. Ensure that all your electrical cords are kept away from any water sources, including the puddles from everyone’s shoes.
What You Need to Know from Your Licensed Electrician
Finally, issues might come up with your decorations. If you are dealing with regularly popping breakers or changing fuses, you should consider calling your licensed electricians to help. We can also work with you to add other outlets to reduce the risk of overloading the ones you currently have. Our team of licensed electricians can also review your home’s electrical system to determine if you need an upgrade to your amp service or breaker box. Call us today to schedule an appointment to address any of your electrical concerns.
Signal Alarms and Electric is an electrical contractor in Southern California providing full-capacity electrical contracting services for new construction, renovations, tenant improvements, service upgrades, exterior, interior, and landscape lighting, retrofits, and service installations in the Southern California/Los Angeles County area.