As you get set to decorate for the holidays, there are a number of different things you have to keep in mind. All of those cookies need to get baked, the tree needs to be cut down and the house has to get into the holiday spirit. When you head out to hang your lights this weekend, keep these lighting safety tips in mind.
Inspect Strings
The power to the bulbs runs through your light strings and that makes these the most hazardous part of the holiday lighting operation. Lights with cracked or frayed strings are more likely to burn out or catch fire in wet conditions. With this in mind, be sure to throw away damaged lights before you hang them from your gutters.
Follow Instructions
You can’t light an entire home without connecting a few strings of lights but every brand has a limit. In your owner’s manual, it should specify the maximum amount of connections you can make on one plug.
Replace Old Bulbs
If a socket on your string of lights is burned out or empty, it could cause the entire system to overheat. To prevent this from happening, test your lights before you hang them to make sure they’re in working order. If a few have burned out, most lighting packs come with spare bulbs in the box.
Keep Outdoor Lights Outside
Outdoor bulbs burn at a greater intensity than indoor bulbs to help people see them from greater distances away. This greater intensity requires more energy that might be too much for your indoor circuits. Be sure to check the labels when you buy new lights and be sure to keep them separated.
Store Safely
If you want to keep your lights in working condition for use next holiday season, you have to store them properly. Lumping them together in a bin is going to result in tangles that will fray the wires and have you heading to the store to buy more. To get the most out of holiday lights, you should wrap them the same way you would an extension cord and lay them next to each other on shelves so they can’t become tangled.
At AAA Service, we repair heating systems, plumbing fixtures and electrical problems in the Denver area. Our electrical trucks come stocked with all of the parts they’ll need to complete the job and this allows us to be quick and efficient with our work. If you would like to schedule a whole house surge protection, we are currently offering a special that you can’t afford to miss out on.
To schedule service, call (303) 313-3333!
