Today is the day, the first weekend in December, and for many, the start of putting up Christmas decorations.
Of course, this will include a lighted tree, and often, lights outside. However, before setting everything up, you must know a few electrical safety tips. Many house fires are initiated by overloading a faulty electrical circuit. To ensure that Christmas doesn’t go out with the bang that nobody wants, here are some electrical safety tips for Christmas.
Inspect Christmas lights for damage
Before you wrap your lights around your tree, check them, look along them to see if there is any damage, start by looking for worn and broken wires, wire that is exposed can put you at risk.
Use an RCD on outdoor lighting
An RCD is an abbreviation used for a residual current device. This device is designed to protect you from severe electric shocks if you accidentally touch a bare wire. We recommend that you connect all outdoor lighting to an RCD, which will provide you with protection against shocks and electrical fire.
Don’t overload power sockets
It’s may be tempting to plug everything into the same socket if you don’t have enough, but do not do this. Overloading sockets is what is at the heart of many house fires.
Turn off your lights
Whether you’re leaving home for a short while or you are going to bed, turn off your Christmas lights. If you cannot trust yourself to remember, then you get a timer so that they will automatically turn off for you, a smart plug may also be used.
Test your smoke alarm
Test your smoke alarm regularly (monthly) to ensure that it’s in fully working order. We all get tempted to remove the batteries when the alarm goes off because we burnt something. However, doing so could put you in danger. The only time you should remove the batteries is when you are replacing them.
If you have any concerns about your electrics please get in touch with us.