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As the days start to get shorter and colder, many of us get excited for the spookiest holiday of the year. If you’re one of those homeowners who like to go all out with some festive lighting to impress your neighbors, you’re likely ecstatic to get started decorating. However, there are some electrical safety tips that you’ll want to follow to ensure the safety of you and your guests while on your property.
Don’t Daisy-Chain Extension Cords
One of the most common mistakes that homeowners can make when putting up festive lighting is daisy-chaining together extension cords. This simply means that you plug two or more electrical cords together. You should never do this as it can increase your risk of experiencing an electrical hazard, such as a fire or electrocution. Instead, simply purchase an extension cord that has the necessary length for the decoration that you plan on using.
Use Outdoor-Rated Cords
It’s very important to realize that all electric decorations as well as extension cords have a specific rating. They can either be rated for simple indoor use, which is an environment that doesn’t have any moisture. Or they can be rated for outdoor use where they can encounter moisture and still function. It’s imperative that you only use decorations and extension cords that are rated for outdoor use when putting up your outdoor Halloween decorations. You can easily determine whether an extension cord or a decoration is rated for indoor or outdoor use by looking at the label on its cord.
Have GFCI Outdoor Outlets
There are two main types of electrical outlets that can be used in your home. These include traditional outlets as well as GFCI outlets. GFCI outlets are rated for wet environments, which include your bathrooms, laundry room, and everything outside. The main benefit of these outlets is that they will shut off power to the circuit in 1/40th of a second to prevent electrocution or fire from developing. GFCI outlets are easy to spot as they have distinctive test and reset buttons and are of a rectangular shape instead of the typical oval shape.
Be Mindful of Overhead Power Lines
If you plan on using a ladder to put up any of your festive Halloween decorations, it’s important to be very mindful of overhead power lines. You should always keep a safe distance of at least 10 feet. As an extra security measure, you should invest in a ladder that’s constructed of either wood or fiberglass. Unlike metal ladders, wood and fiberglass do not conduct electricity. This helps to ensure that if your ladder slides into a power line, you’re not electrocuted simply from holding on to it.
Don’t Leave Cords Coiled
Another common mistake that homeowners make when decorating is leaving their electrical cords coiled up. This is very common when you’re using an extension cord that is overly large for the area you need it to cover. When your extension cord is coiled up, it increases its risk of overheating. When an extension cord overheats, it will not only damage the cord and what’s plugged into it, but it can also lead to an electrical fire.
Use Outdoor Outlets for Power
One Surefire thing when you live in an older home is that you won’t have the same number of electrical outlets as a modern-day home. It isn’t uncommon to not have an outdoor outlet or to only have one. You may even be thinking about running an extension cord from inside your home out through one of your windows to the outdoors to power your decorations. This is not suggested as it can provide a plethora of problems for your home and family. Instead, consider hiring an electrician to add more outdoor GFCI outlets to your home. This is the safest way to ensure that you can enjoy your Halloween decorations without worrying about any potential electrical hazards.
Fasten Cords Effectively
As a safety precaution, it’s important to fasten down all your electrical wiring that is running outside. You want to ensure that you’re not allowing any of the wiring to be in areas where water can accumulate from a rainstorm or from snowmelt. When fastening down electrical and extension cords, it’s important that you do so without overdoing it. The cord should be snug but still movable when you jiggle it with your hand. This will ensure that the fastener does not cut into the insulation layer and end-up exposing bare wires over time.
Ensure Amperages Match
If you need to use an extension cord to plug into one of your Halloween decorations, it’s important to check the amperage on the extension cord as well as on the decoration. This amperage should be labeled directly on the label that is attached to the cord for both your extension cord and the decoration. The extension cord should have an amperage that either meets or exceeds the amperage required to run the decoration. This helps to ensure that the extension cord does not unnecessarily overheat and lead to an electrical fire.
Take Time to Inspect Your Cords
One commonly overlooked safety measure when it comes to decorating for Halloween is checking the state of your electrical cords. Make it a habit to examine the entire electrical cord for each decoration that you’re using. If you notice that there are any exposed wires or crimping, it’s best to have the wiring redone by a professional. The same is true for any extension cords that you plan on using. You never want to use a defective cord as it can greatly increase your risk of experiencing an electrical hazard.
Don’t Plug More Lights Together Than Recommended
When you start hanging up holiday light decorations, it can be easy to simply string all the lights together for ease of use. It’s important to realize that you need to check the instructions that come with the light strands to see how many you can physically plug into one another. If you plug too many strands into each other, they’re likely going to overload the circuit. This could lead to damage to the wiring and even sometimes result in an electrical fire.
Always Unplug to Service
It isn’t uncommon for decorations that use bulbs to blow out over time. You may even have some of the fuses in your light strands blow out. It’s necessary to ensure that you unplug the decoration or shut off the entire circuit so there is no power going to it. This will ensure that you can do a safe bulb or fuse replacement without any possibility of adverse reactions, such as getting electrocuted.
Expert Electrician Services
MVP Air Conditioning, Heating, Plumbing & Electric offers expert electrician services for people throughout the entire Kansas City, KS community. We can help with all your cooling, heating, plumbing, and home electrical needs. Simply call our friendly staff today to book your next service appointment with one of our knowledgeable electricians to get needed electrical repair.
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