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8 Tips for Safer Holiday Lighting Displays

8 Tips for Safer Holiday Lighting Displays

Holiday lighting displays can brighten the season, but they also present potential hazards. Keep these safety tips in mind as you decorate your home.

Published: 8/12/2024 3:14:03 PM

Before you brighten the season with holiday lighting displays, keep everyone safe with these tips.

Holiday decorating

Every holiday season, U.S. fire departments respond to an average of 200 home fires that started with lighted trees, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Electrical problems caused one-third of these incidents. Fortunately, these fires are not common, but when they occur they are almost always serious.

To make sure your holiday season remains cheerful, keep the following safety tips in mind while decorating your home:

  1. Use lights that have been tested for safety. Look for "UL" on the tag, which means the lights have been approved by Underwriters Laboratories, a global leader in testing, inspection and certification.

  2. Inspect lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed wires or loose connections. If you encounter any of these problems, throw them away.

  3. Limit the number of light strands to three per outlet. For added safety, use a power strip with a built-in circuit breaker instead of a wall outlet.

  4. Replace incandescent lights with LEDs. They generate less heat, which makes them a safer choice both indoors and out. LED lights also last much longer and use 75% less electricity — two additional reasons to make the switch.

  5. Use the right lights. For outdoor decorations, use only light strings and extension cords rated for outdoor use.

  6. Be careful with extension cords. Avoid running extension cords in high-traffic areas where people could trip over them. Don't hide extension cords under rugs or beneath furniture, where they could become frayed or overheat.

  7. Turn off lights late at night or when no one is home. Make safety more convenient by plugging decorations into timer controls, which automatically turn lights on and off according to a set schedule.

  8. Plug safely outdoors. Make sure outdoor lights are plugged into a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet. These are designed to protect against shock by automatically turning off when a change in electrical flow occurs.

Before you brighten up the holidays with indoor and outdoor light displays that everyone will love, keep everyone safe with these tips.

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  • MY BILL
    • PAYMENTS
      • My Bill Explained
      • View/Pay My Bill
      • Ways to Pay
    • RATES
      • Current Rate Schedule
      • Incentive Rates
    • SERVICE
      • Begin/Discontinue Service
      • Update My Account
    • INFO
      • Ownership Rewards
      • Scams
  • MY CO-OP
    • THE CO-OP WAY
      • Co-op Principles
      • Member Rights And Responsibilities
      • Our Mission and Promises
      • Bylaws
    • ABOUT
      • Where we serve
      • Office Locations
      • Board of Directors
        • Director Responsibilities
      • Management Team
      • Our History
        • Adams' Timeline
      • Co-op University
    • JOIN
      • Careers At Adams Electric
      • Be A Co-Op Volunteer
        • Credentials and Election Committee
        • Member Engagement Group
        • Scholarship Committee
      • What is Co-op Owners?
      • Co-ops vote
      • New Member Packet
  • MY COMMUNITY
    • Project Helping Hand
    • Community Loan Fund
    • LED Area Lights
    • Co-op Connections
    • PSECU
  • MY EDUCATION
    • Scholarships
    • High Voltage Safety Demos
    • Youth Education
    • Rural Electric Youth Tour
    • Safety Quiz
    • Co-op University
  • MY PUBLICATIONS
    • Penn Lines
    • Brochures
    • Annual Report
    • Electric Installation Guide
  • MY ENERGY SAVINGS
    • MY USE
      • SmartHub
      • Solar Dashboard
      • Renewable/Alternative Energy
    • MY SERVICES
      • Audits
        • Home Efficiency Analysis
        • Business Energy Advisor
        • Walk-Through Energy Audits
      • CFL/LED Recycling
      • Generator Safety
      • Together We Save
    • MY PROGRAMS
      • U-Shift, U-$ave
        • U-Shift Air Conditioning
        • U-Shift Off-Peak Rate
        • U-Shift Water Heating
      • Lighting Options
      • Surge Protection
      • Member Power
    • MY PRODUCTS
      • Online Energy Store
      • Aero Energy
      • Filter Change
  • MY EV