What You Need To Know About Christmas Lights

11/28/2017 (Permalink)

Don’t leave Christmas lights running when you go to bed at night or when you leave the house.

Fernandina Beach/North Jax houses all lit up with Christmas lights are beautiful sights to behold. But whether stringing lights across your roof and around your home or using them indoors, take a few moments to run through a quick safety checklist.

• Before you string up a single strand of lights, carefully check them for cracked cords frayed ends or loose connections.
• The combination of shorts in electrical lights and a tinder-dry tree can be deadly. There are 250 Christmas tree fires and 14 related deaths each year, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. So keep your tree well-watered. Not only will it stay fresh and green, but it might also keep your house from burning down.
• Modern lights have fused plugs, preventing sparks in case of a short circuit. Ditch old strands of lights that don’t have fuses and get a set of newer, safer lights.  
• Don't connect more than three strands of mini-string sets and a maximum of 50 bulbs for screw-in bulbs. 
• If bulbs have burned out, replace them right away, but make sure you use the correct wattage bulbs. 
• Water and debris can get into outdoor sockets, so make sure outdoor lights are plugged into a ground fault circuit interrupter outlet to reduce the risk of shorts and shocks. Hire a licensed electrician if you need to install GFCI outlets.
• Keep an eye on extension cords, as they can occasionally overheat. Just touch-test the cord. If it’s hot, unplug it.
• Don’t use tacks, nails or screws to hang lights, which can pierce the cable and become electrified. Use insulated hooks instead. 
• When running extension cords along the ground, make sure to elevate plugs and connectors with a brick to keep snow, water and debris out of the connections.
• Tape down any ground-level extensions cords to prevent people from tripping over them. 
• Check to make sure lights have been rated by a testing laboratory. You can see a list of federally recognized labs on the OSHA website.
• Not all lights are rated for outdoor use. Indoor lights often have thinner insulation, which can become cracked and damaged when exposed to the elements outdoors. So make sure the ones you string up on the house belong out there. 
• Don’t leave Christmas lights running when you go to bed at night or when you leave the house.
• When you put your lights back into storage after the holidays, make sure to place them in a well-sealed container to prevent possible water damage and to block hungry rodents looking to turn the cords into lunch.

 These tips will help you stay safe and prevent fires. Of course, if you do have a fire, call 9-1-1. Follow these fire safety tips and call SERVPRO of Fernandina Beach/Yulee at 904-729-2401 if you need help with professional clean-up.