Follow these tips for holiday light hanging safety.
As winter approaches and the nights become longer, one way to bring some cheer to your home is to hang beautiful and colorful holiday decorations. Whether you have plans to hang elaborate lights around your house, or you just want to wire up a Christmas tree, hanging lights pose particular risks to those who are unprepared. Electrical safety should always be a priority, and when you are hanging many lights throughout your home, you should take extra precautions. Read on for a few essential holiday light hanging safety tips.
Ensure Your Lighting is Protected
For best results and safety, use GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets for all of your holiday lights. These protect your outlets from being overloaded, ensuring safety by shutting off rather than letting an overload occur.
Avoid Sharp Tools
When hanging your holiday lights, try not to use nails, staples, or tacks. Piercing a strand can create an electrical safety hazard that may result in burns or future fires. Use clips or hooks for the safest holiday light hanging safety.
Keep Your Lights Neat
Avoid creating a mass of wiring that forms tripping or tangling hazards. This can be avoided by planning out your lighting thoroughly. Create a plan, and formulate a method to keep every light neat and tucked away.
Don’t Hang Lights Near Other Heat Sources
Do not hang holiday lights near other appliances or heat sources around your home. Even the light emanating from an incandescent bulb can melt through wires and potentially cause a fire. To avoid other fire risks, don’t place your lights near any appliances or electrical sources.
Use LED Lights
LEDs (light-emitting diodes) use up less power, which is always better when electricity is concerned. Using LED lights can save you money on energy costs and generate considerably less heat.
Ladder Safety Tips
As you prepare for holiday light hanging, you will likely require the use of a ladder. However, ladders can pose their own risks, so you should take specific precautions before climbing up to hang your lights.
- Don’t use a damaged ladder.
- Secure your ladder and engage the braces
- Wear clean, slip-resistant shoes
- Maintain three points of contact. Only move one limb at a time, slowly.
When you follow these electrical and ladder safety tips, you can ensure that your holiday light hanging plan goes well, and your house remains undamaged and beautiful throughout the season.
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