Electrical and fire Safety Tips For the Holiday Season

Posted on: 1 August 2016

When the holiday season comes around, you might start thinking about decorating. While this can brighten up your home and get you in the holiday spirit, there are also some risks associated with it. The combination between Christmas trees and lights tend to create both electrical and fire hazards. Here are some ways to reduce those hazards and keep your home and family safe.

Don't Let the Tree Dry Out

One of the biggest fire risks of having a tree in your home during the holidays is that if it is dry or has dead areas, it can easily become flammable. Just having holiday lights on the tree that are turned on could create enough heat to start a fire. Make sure if you have a live tree, you water it on a daily basis. Most tree bases will have a pot that lets you add water to it easily. Just choosing the right tree can help you reduce fire risk with it. Don't look for a tree that has brown needles or seems to have needles falling out rapidly even while on the Christmas tree farm.

Be Careful With What You Plug In

The outlets in your home are going to be working overtime during the holidays with all the extra appliances plugged in for cooking and baking, and having multiple lights plugged in at once. If you have multiple strands of lights in one room that are plugged in, don't plug them all in one outlet or one area of the room. This can cause the circuits to be overloaded. Also check all cords before plugging anything in to look for signs of fraying or cracks in the cords. This includes strings of lights and anything else needing to be plugged in.

Keep the Tree From a Heat Source

Another risk with your holiday tree is having it too close to a heat source. You should not have the tree directly next to the fireplace or heater. These sources of heat can cause the tree to start fire. Also be careful about placing it right underneath heating vents that might cause the needles to heat up over time.

If you are concerned with the quality of cords or outlets before decorating for the holidays, make sure you contact electrical contractors. They can let you know if there are electrical hazards in your home that need to be addressed, such as needing re-wiring done.

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