Merry Christmas – Christmas Light Safety Tips
Merry Christmas
It is that time of year again. Time to break out the Christmas cookies, buy some eggnog and decorate the Christmas tree. For the more adventurous among us, it may even be time to light up the house, yard or planter. It is to this wonderful tradition that I want to direct my newsletter to a common myth surrounding Christmas lights.
Myth – Christmas lights are dangerous -
While this can be true from a fire safety perspective, especially when dealing with natural greenery, follow a few of these safety tips to reduce your risk and enjoy.
—– Always use the correct type and style of lights for your project. (ie. outdoor lights for outdoor, low wattage lights for natural greenery)
—– Whenever possible only support your lights with clips and hangers designed to support them. Many fires and electrical shocks are caused by nails and staples piercing the insulation and exposing the bare conductors.
—– Never leave lights on inside your home while you are away or if you are sleeping. Better to be there and alert if there is a problem to avoid a disaster.
—– When replacing blown fuses, make sure you only use the fuses supplied with the lights. There are various types and sizes of fuses designed to prevent an overload condition or fire. Installing the incorrect fuse could lead to disaster.
—– Whenever possible utilize LED lights. The energy savings alone will convince you after the first year and the low maintenance will save frustration trying to get that section of lights in the middle of the tree to work.
—– Last and most importantly, ALWAYS make sure your lights are plugged into an AFCI Device inside or a GFCI outside. The National Electric Code says in article 210.8 B(4) Outdoors. All 15A and 20A, 125V receptacles installed outdoors must be GFCI-protected.
This is the number one safety rule when dealing with electricity in outside locations. Some locations to be particularly careful around are: Pool enclosures, lakes, ponds, fountains, gutters or down spouts, sidewalks or areas where children or the elderly may pass, and any public areas that may be accessible to foot traffic. If your lights are tripping your GFCI you have electricity escaping the circuit. This condition is potentially lethal and should be corrected immediately by identifying the problem. Often a sprinkler head spraying on the lights or a staple too tight has caused the device to trip. Bypassing or removing the GFCI only causes an increased danger to anyone near the lights. Unlike many of the movies we see can result in serious injury or death. Electricity is no joke. I have included a few helpful articles below.
Consumer Product Safety Commission Article
http://www.cpsc.gov//PageFiles/118853/099.pdf
Angie’s List Article
http://www.angieslist.com/articles/electricians-recommend-gfci-outlets-holiday-lights.htm
As always we want to take the time to thank you our family and friends as we head into a new year. We are going into our 63rd year in business and look forward to continuing to serve you with honesty, integrity and excellence. Thanks you for your business and have a safe and happy holiday season.
