{"id":2060,"date":"2024-11-25T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goservicemax.com\/blog\/?p=2060"},"modified":"2024-11-21T18:17:38","modified_gmt":"2024-11-21T23:17:38","slug":"holiday-lights-follow-these-electrical-safety-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goservicemax.com\/blog\/electrical\/holiday-lights-follow-these-electrical-safety-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Holiday Lights? Follow These Electrical Safety Tips!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"holiday-lights-and-decorated-greenery\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u2018Tis the season for untangling strands of thousands of tiny holiday lights! Are you excited? Well, don\u2019t be too hasty. There are so many things to do this time of year that it\u2019s easy to rush or cut corners, especially with things that are so familiar and routine that you might not be paying close attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As much as we want our friends and neighbors to be festive, celebrate, and enjoy the season, we also want everyone to stay safe. Don\u2019t take risks with anything electrical! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can you be sure you\u2019re handling your holiday lights safely? We\u2019ve got some simple tips for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Inspect Your Lights<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Be gentle during the untangling process! Once you\u2019ve got everything straightened out so you can get a clear view of all your strands of lights, inspect them closely. If there are cracked sockets, insecure connections, or any spots where wires are bare or fraying, do not use that strand of lights! Only plug strands in if they are in good condition, otherwise you risk electric shock and fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider LED Lights<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Older holiday lights can get quite hot. LED lights are much cooler. In addition, they use less electricity. Anytime you need to replace a strand of lights, choose LED instead of incandescent. They\u2019ll reduce the risk of fire and keep your electric bill from skyrocketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pay Attention to Outlets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t overload outlets with multiple high-wattage strands of lights. And for outdoor lights, make sure you only plug strands into GFCI outlets. These are the only outlets which are safe in places where there might be exposure to water. They will shut off electrical flow within a fraction of a second when they detect a problem!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t Overload Circuits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Consider which outlets are on the same circuits in your home. Adding a large amount of electrical demand to a single circuit can result in the circuit breaker tripping and all your lights going out! Try to spread out the demand, putting fewer lights on each circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep Space Clear<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Around outlets, power strips, extension cords, and strands of lights, make sure there is plenty of space. They can heat up or, if something goes wrong, give off sparks. This is especially dangerous if there are items like cloth furniture or curtains against or close to these electrical items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turn Lights Off<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re going to be away from home, and when you go to sleep at night, turn off all your holiday lights. If anything does go wrong, you want to be there and able to take action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When to Get Help<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are times when the additional demand of the holiday season can help homeowners to recognize existing problems. Perhaps your electrical panel is old, outdated, or too limited in capacity for what you need from it. Perhaps an outlet was poorly wired to begin with, or has experienced damage. Don\u2019t hesitate to get the help you need from an electrician in Chicago, IL<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flickering lights, frequently burned-out bulbs, or circuit breakers tripping when lights are on are all signs that you need electrical assistance. Outlets or switch plates that buzz or crackle, spark or smoke, or are hot to the touch indicate a serious problem. And if you smell anything like burning plastic or dead fish, you could have an electrical fire on your hands. This is a serious emergency. Shut down everything you can, call for help, and be ready to evacuate if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact ServiceMax<\/strong><\/a> with any questions about your electrical system.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Don\u2019t take risks with anything electrical! How can you be sure you\u2019re handling your holiday lights safely? We\u2019ve got some simple tips for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[170],"tags":[144,183],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goservicemax.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2060"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goservicemax.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goservicemax.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goservicemax.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goservicemax.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2060"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.goservicemax.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2060\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2063,"href":"https:\/\/www.goservicemax.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2060\/revisions\/2063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goservicemax.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goservicemax.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goservicemax.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}