During the holidays, it is common for people to decorate the inside and outside of their home with lighting, and other types of electrical accessories. Although most decorations are manufactured to withstand the holiday season, improper and unsafe usage can increase your chances of experiencing an electrical fire. However, with the proper safety measures, you can prevent electrical fires from occurring, and keep both your home and your family safe. Use these tips as your guide for learning how to prevent an electrical fire from occurring during the holiday season.
Use holiday decorations that have been approved for safety by national laboratories. Decoration packaging will contain seals or labels that indicate the product is safe to use in your home. Using decorations that lack a safety approval may be hazardous, and can trigger an electrical fire.
Inspect the physical condition of all electrical decorations before use. Electrical decorations should not display any loose or frayed wires, loose or cracked bulbs, or any other physical faults. If these features are present, avoid using the decorations to prevent an electrical fire.
Refrain from plugging multiple electrical decorations into one specific outlet. Some outlets cannot support multiple connections, and may become overloaded and trigger an electrical fire as a result. Plug your decorations into multiple outlets, and read the instructions included with your decorations to determine the safest method for use.
Replace bulbs in light strings with those of the same wattage, when applicable. If you replace a bulb with a higher wattage than is required, you can potentially cause the entire string of lights to overheat and start a fire.
Turn off or unplug all electrical decorations when leaving the house or going to sleep. Leaving your decorations unsupervised means that nobody is around to notice any fire that might start. Lights and other electrical components become overheated due to being left on for an extended period of time.
If you ever have electrical questions or issues, please give us a call. 330-264-6380