The holiday season is an exciting time; the parties, decorations, food, family, friends, and fun can often overwhelm us and make us completely forget about home safety. At Expert Electric, they want to help people have a safe and happy holiday season with their families and friends, so they have created this list of holiday electrical safety tips to keep in mind while you go about your holiday activities. The safety of you and your home is their top priority and, to that end, their licensed electricians offer a variety of residential electrical services.
Electrical Safety Tips for the Holidays
Between the lights, the tree, the gifts, the decorations, and the need for heat, the holiday season can provide many elements that affect electrical safety. Some ways to keep your home safe this year include:
Christmas Tree Safety
If you are using a real tree, make sure that it stays watered, as a dry tree can be very flammable. If you have a fake tree, make sure that it is non-flammable. Keep your tree away from heaters, fireplaces, and candles. Before you string lights on your tree, check each strand for broken bulbs, frayed cords, or broken plugs to prevent an electrical fire. To give your home that extra bit of Christmas electrical safety, keep a fire extinguisher close to your tree.
Holiday Heating Safety
As the holidays approach, the weather gets colder and that means home heating becomes essential. Proper care should be taken with heaters to maximize on holiday safety. Space heaters are a great way to heat targeted areas of a home, but they need to be used with caution. A space heater should never be left unattended and you should make sure that your heater is pointed away from walls and furniture and that it is not near any sources of water. If you use a radiator to heat your home, keep your decorations at a reasonable distance.
Safe Holiday Lighting Practices
It is imperative to focus on holiday electrical safety when lighting your house. Most outdoor Christmas lights require the reach of a ladder, which should be operated by two people to avoid injury from falling. To avoid the risk of water damage to your lights, make sure that your lights are rated for outdoor use before hanging them. Be sure to check each string of lights for frays and broken bulbs, as these can short out and start electrical fires. For your electrical safety, do not use nails or staples to hang lights; instead, use plastic clips or hooks to avoid damaging wires. If possible, look into switching to LED holiday lights, as they do not generate the same amount of heat. Make sure that you always turn off your lights when they are unsupervised.
If you would like to learn more holiday electrical safety tips, or for more information about their residential or commercial electrical services, please contact Expert Electric at 604-681-8338.