The Electrical Blog

Electrical Safety: Three Outdoor Christmas Décor Safety Tips

Posted by Tonia Nifong on Fri, Dec 05, 2014

During this season of lights, you’re most likely decorating your home or office building with joyful colors and lights. While you’re creating a festive atmosphere with décor, we encourage you to keep electrical safety first with these simple tips from Berwick Electric Co.'s service department project managers.

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1. Don’t overload a circuit. One of the simplest decorating tips to keep in mind this time of year is to avoid plugging too many outdoor lights into one circuit. “Overloaded circuits cause breakers to trip,” Project Manager Terry Schneider explained. “Avoid this common mistake by using multiple circuits to feed your outside lights.”

2.  Use proper extension cords. When you’re decorating outdoors, you’re most likely going to need an extension cord to plug your lights into an outlet. “It’s important to use a proper rated extension cord,” Project Manager James Rockhill said. “Avoid old, worn-out extension cords. Also, avoid placing light connections in areas that accumulate water, such as gutters.”

3. Replace old light strings with LED lights. “Because LED light strings are more efficient than older lights, more strings of lights can be plugged together,” James said. “This reduces the need for multiple outlets.”

So go ahead and brighten the season with the warmth of vibrant holiday lights and décor!

Do you have any other outdoor decorating safety tips for this time of year? If so, we encourage you to share them in the comments box below.

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Topics: Service Department