6 Electrical Safety Tips for Christmas

One small safety hazard can turn your holiday celebration from merry and bright to a downright disaster. Here’s how you can stay safe this Christmas. During Christmas the electrical fires are normally caused due to faulty outlets and appliances, extension cords or wiring problems but now that you have an urgent electrician Melbourne in your area there is nothing to worry with any electrical troubles.

  • Check your lights. Lights that aren’t in tip top shape can cause electrical shock or even a fire. Before you plug in a single strand of Christmas lights, you need to make sure they aren’t damaged. Look for cracked cords, loose connections, damaged sockets and loose or bare wires. Throw away any strands that are in poor condition.
  • Count your strands. If you’re determined to have a Christmas display that rivals the Griswold’s, make sure your lights are connected properly. No more than three strands of incandescent lights should be strung together at a time. Any more may trip a circuit breaker or start a fire. However, LED lights are a different story. According to the U.S. Department of Energy you can safely connect up to 25 strands of LED lights without overloading your electrical outlet.
  • Don’t overdo it. Your electrical outlets are made to handle a certain amount of wattage. If you push the socket beyond its limits, it can cause a fire. Make sure you spread your lights across multiple outlets to ease the load and stay safe.
  • Purchase safe decorations. When you’re out shopping for holiday decorations, make sure anything that requires electricity has been tested for safety. Independent testing laboratories, such as Underwriters Laboratories, test electrical decorations to ensure they aren’t hazardous. Safe holiday decorations will have a label from one of these testing companies. View the full list of federally recognized labs here.
  • Trim the best tree. If you’re going to buy a live Christmas tree, look for one that’s fresh. (A fresh tree will have needles that won’t easily fall from the branch and bend instead of break.) You’ll also want to water it frequently. A dry tree is a fire hazard, but even the freshest tree should be kept at least three feet from your electrical outlets, fireplace and space heater. If you’ll be decking your halls with an artificial tree, make sure it’s labeled “fire resistant”.
  • Turn it off. When you’re sleeping or out of the house, turn off your Christmas lights—inside and out. Leaving them on not only adds up on your electric bill, it can also be a safety hazard.

Know more about the safety tips in electricity at your home.