Holiday Electrical Safety Tips

Holiday Electrical Safety Tips: Preventing Electrical Fires During the Festive Season

There is no good time for tragedies such as a house fire, but the holiday season seems particularly tragic. Nevertheless, consider these Holiday Electrical Safety Tips:

Electrical house fires happen more frequently during the wintertime than any other time of year, even though we typically spend more time inside due to the cold temperatures.
The overheating of electrical devices is the second most common cause of house fires.
Homeowners commonly decorate for the holidays with electrical devices, both indoors and out.
Electrical devices are very popular holiday gifts, so families increase the number of electrical devices during this period.

Since these things are true, here are a few safety tips to prevent tragedies this holiday season.

Holiday Electrical Safety Tips: Keep Natural/Life Trees Watered

Whether you add electric lights to the tree or not, dry trees pose a hazard.

A properly cared-for cut tree will last 3 to 5 weeks from the time it was cut, so plan your holiday decorations with that in mind.
If you decorate a live or cut tree with lights, use LED strings since they produce very little heat.
If the tree dries out, do not continue to turn the lights on and remove the tree as soon as possible.

Holiday Electrical Safety Tips: Turn Decorations Off Overnight

It is not necessary to keep decorations lit while all eyes are closed and anyone sneaking in the chimney will understand. Overnight lights can overheat while no one is awake to notice, and tragedy can happen very quickly. This is true for outdoor decorations as well.

Holiday Electrical Safety Tips: Outdoor Decorations

Speaking of outdoor decorations, remember some simple essentials.

Only decorate outdoors with decorations that are rated for outdoor use. The wire gauge, connections, and insulation are designed to keep them weather-resistant. This includes extension cords, which should be at least 16 gauge for runs 25 feet or less and 14 gauge for longer runs.
Place a stone or brick under a connection between lights and extension cords to prevent water from seeping into the connection.
Turn the outside lights off overnight.

Holiday Electrical Safety Tips: Limit Strings

One holiday tradition outlines spaces, both indoors and outdoors, with long strings of light. Here are a few tips to improve safety with this tradition.

Choose LED lights whenever possible. The large bulbs from older decorations produce considerable heat and increase the chance of a fire mishap.
Choose long strings instead of a sequence of shorter runs. This reduces the amount of resistance, the major cause of overheating/electrical fires.
Use hooks instead of curling a string around a nail or projection. This avoids cutting the insulation and exposing the wire.
Do not place anything over the top of the light.

Holiday Electrical Safety Tips: Beware of Resistance

Electricity likes to run free and unobstructed. Whenever it is slowed, the term is resistance, it causes heat. We use this principle for so many functions, including cooking, cleaning, and drying hair. Unchecked resistance is also the major cause of electrical fires, so avoid the following.

Old heating pads and electric blankets. These devices cause about 500 house fires annually, mostly models that are 10 years old or older. New models are still relatively inexpensive; using old models can cost more than anyone wishes to pay. Do not fold an electric blanket or heating pad during use.
Electric heaters use resistance, so only connect them directly to an outlet—no extension cords. Situate them away from foot traffic to keep them from being bumped and overturned. Keep flammable items at least 2 feet away, including walls and furniture. Do not use space heaters overnight.
The same principle applies to an outlet: do not plug more devices into a double outlet than it is designed to carry. Yes, some devices double the number of electronics that can be plugged into a single outlet, but these create resistance, and resistance can cause overheating. However, this overheating is hidden behind the wall and is not easily detected.

Holiday Electrical Fire Safety Tips: Preventing Hazards and Ensuring a Safe Season

During the holiday season, electrical fires are more common due to the increased use of electrical devices and decorations. To prevent fires, keep live trees watered, use LED lights, and avoid leaving decorations on overnight. Additionally, limit the use of extension cords, ensure outdoor decorations are rated for outdoor use, and avoid overloading outlets to prevent overheating and fire hazards.

With our four decades of experience in Residential Electrical Repair, AirPro Houston provides you with the knowledge of Electrical Repair safety in your home and addresses any residential electrical repair issues that homeowners may encounter. Call our team of Electricians at 281-880-8805.