The holidays are a time when many people adorn their homes with strings of lights and other electric decorations. However, power outlets can only handle so much voltage. According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, holiday decorations cause more than 1,000 electrical fires a year. Here are a few tips you should follow to keep your home safe this holiday season:
Respect the Power strip
Let’s face it, homeowners love power strips – we see them as the answer to all our electrical dilemmas. Since power strips allow you to power more decorations at once, they can actually be very dangerous. For example, plugging power strips into two adjacent outlets or “piggybacking” one power strip into another could lead to a fire, we recommend one power strip per outlet.
No Overcrowding
Without a doubt, you’ll be tempted to be naughty with your electrical wiring by plugging most or all of your decorations into one outlet…..we see this a lot. However, forcing so much electricity through a single outlet can easily lead to an overload. For the sake of your safety and home electrical system, you should plug decorations into several outlets throughout your home – better to be safe than sorry. When using extension cords make sure they’re out of the way and don’t pose a tripping hazard.
Don’t be Naughty, Be Nice
If you’re nervous about your outlets in your home (especially if it’s an older home), you should hire a licensed electrician to inspect your system. Think of it this way; would you want your home to be in tomorrows front page news? – always think like this and it will influence you to make wise decisions. A skilled electrician should be able to spot all faulty connections and help you better understand the power capacities of your outlets.
Every year our customers in Rhode Island ask advice on outdoor outlets for their holiday lights. Airhart Electric his happy to answer all your questions
To learn how your home’s electrical system will cope with holiday decorations, contact Airhart Electric at (401) 397-3415. One of our skilled electricians will perform a thorough inspection of your system and identify potential problem areas. We can also help you understand how many holiday decorations you can safely plug into the various areas of your home.
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