Nothing fills the holidays with seasonal cheer quite like Christmas lights. Unfortunately, they’re responsible for more than $12 million in decoration-related property damage every year. You don’t, however, have to take a pass on this holiday tradition to stay safe if you adopt the following electrical maintenance and safety practices when festooning your home with Christmas lights.

7 Christmas Light Safety Tips

1. Stay Cool With LED Lights

Overheating is a leading cause of light-related holiday fires. Since traditional incandescent glass bulbs get hot quickly, switch to UL-certified LED epoxy bulbs, which stay cool to the touch. They consume less energy, too, while delivering endless color combinations.  

2. Check & Replace Bulbs

Before you plug in a string of lights, make sure every bulb is secure and intact. Replace any damaged bulbs. This electrical maintenance step keeps circuits complete and reduces the risk of fire.

3. Don’t Use Indoor Lights Outside

When you decorate outside, use bulbs intended for the outdoors. Unlike outdoor lights, indoor bulbs aren’t insulated. As a result, any that get wet may short or spark a fire.

4. Choose Clips Over Nails

Don’t nail or screw lights into walls and wood. Punctures increase fire risk. Instead, use plastic clips to string lights from windows, doors, porches, and railings without damaging or exposing wires.

5. Use a Timer

Don’t keep your holiday lights on all day and night. They may overheat. To avoid this hazard, put your lights on timers, and set them to turn off after a few hours.  

6. Water the Tree

Live Christmas trees must be regularly watered. If they don’t get enough moisture, their needles will dry and become flammable. Prolonged contact with holiday lights could cause dry trees to ignite.

7. Take Plugging Precautions

Plug all lights into GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) outlets. Unlike standard outlets, GFCI devices contain sensors that shut off the flow of electricity if a fault is detected. They’ll prevent you from getting shocked when plugging in lights or if water comes in contact with the outlet. If you don’t have GCFI outlets where you need them, hire an electrical contractor to install them.

If you’re concerned about holiday light safety or any other electrical risk, Mueller Electric is qualified to help. Serving the Ashland, KY, community for 25 years, they offer comprehensive inspections to detect fire and shock risks in your home or business and reliable electrical maintenance and repair services. To learn more about their capabilities, visit them online, or call (606) 325-0275 to schedule an appointment.