Important
Christmas Safety Tips
‘Tis the season for you to celebrate Christmas! As per tradition you are probably planning on decorating your home to make it cheerful and inviting for your guests. In the midst of holiday evemts, it can be easy for you to get distracted by activities that
you forget the potential dangers your decorations can possess without the proper precautions. We have compiled a list of the best safety tips for Christmas to keep you and your families safe while decorating, traveling, and gatherings. Check out the free resources below and bring yourself peace of mind this holiday season.
Most Common Safety Concern:
Christmas Light Safety
- Remember to never leave Christmas lights unattended. The heat from the lights can become hazardous, causing smoke and fire damage to your home. If you are going away to visit family, or even leaving the house for work, make sure you do a quick check around the house and turn off all the decorative lights plugged into outlets.
- Consider LED lights intead of incandescent lights. They produce little heat and are just as bright You might be accustomed to using incandescent lights because they are cheap, easy to use, and work well for a lot of different things. However, they also consume a lot of power (a typical 100 watt bulb used for one-hour burns about ten kilowatt-hours worth of electricity) and produce a lot of heat (hence the heat in your face when you come near an incandescent bulb). This is because the filament inside an incandescent light is glowing more brightly than the internal electric resistance can handle. In fact, the filament inside is glowing white hot. The energy it gives off as heat is enough to make the filament glow so much brighter. Think about the potential hazards of putting heat close to a live tree, or other flammable materials in and outside of the home.
- Remember, indoor and outdoor lights are not interchangeable. Indoor lights may be cheaper than outdoor lights but they are not made to withstand the wet weather. When you buy outdoor lights, it is crucial to shop for ones that are specifically designed to be outside. Purchasing the cheapest set of luminaires could put your home at risk of fire or electrical shock.
- When you set up your Christmas lights take notice of how many strands you’re running per outlet and limit it to 3. The reason being is that any more than 3 can cause the wiring to heat up and the outlet to overload. This may cause the outlet to spark or even flame. Always keep a close eye on your display while it’s on as well as check your lights daily.