10 Electrical Safety Tips for the Holidays

by on

Electrical Safety TipsThe holidays are coming! Time for elaborate light displays. They’re colorful, they’re festive — and they can be dangerous if you don’t know how to handle them properly. Here are 10 safety tips to keep in mind when putting up lights this holiday season.

  1. Use the right cords. Make sure that any extension cords you use on your outdoor display are specifically for outdoor use and are designed to handle the amount of power being plugged into them.
  2. Never plug one extension cord into another. Get one that’s long enough to reach the outlet on its own.
  3. Make sure your extension cords have been tested by Underwriters Laboratories (or a similar organization) and that they are certified as safe for use.
  4. When planning your holiday decorations, check to see how many available outlets you have and where they’re located. Don’t plug too many light strings and other devices into one outlet or power strip.
  5. Surge protectors are essential for electrical safety. Use them to keep all of your electronics from overloading and to prevent electrical fires in the event of a sudden, unexpected power surge.
  6. Use LEDs instead of incandescent bulbs. Not only do they use less energy, they don’t overheat, reducing the risk of fire. They’re also not made of glass, and therefore are less likely to break.
  7. Plug in all cords fully, so they’re tight against the outlet, and plug them in head on, rather than at an angle (which can damage the cord over time).
  8. Use the right outlet for the plugs you have. Don’t try to remove the third prong from a plug to make it fit into a two-pronged outlet, as this is highly dangerous.
  9. If you need to change a lightbulb on the string, unplug it first. The same goes for any other electrical items that need to be fixed or adjusted.
  10. Don’t leave lights on all night! Turn them off before you go to bed, both to save energy and to keep them from being left unattended.

For more electrical-safety tips, contact us at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company. We’re Yuma’s trusted source for quality home-comfort solutions.