The holiday season is here and it’s time to light up. It’s such a wonderful time to drive around just after dusk to see how creative your neighbours have gotten. While decorative lights do add a certain touch of magic to the holiday season,

they can increase the risks of fire and electrical injuries if not used safely.

To help you and your family have a wonderful holiday season here are our Top 10 Safety Tips for Holiday Lighting.

1– Before you begin decorating, determine how many outlets are available and where they are located. Are they inside? Outside?

2 – Test your safety switch and smoke detector to make sure they are working.

3 – Lights for every occasion? Make sure that you’re using the correct lighting set up for the right area. Are your lights designed for indoors or outdoor use?

4 – Check old holiday lights before re-using them. Are the cables in good working order or have the local mice had a nibble along the way? Whether they’re brand-new out of the box or seasoned veterans from holidays past, before you put them up, inspect all lights, electric decorations and extension cords for signs of damage to wire insulation, plugs, and bulbs. If the damage can be repaired (i.e. broken bulbs replaced), do not use the item until the repair has been made. If cords and plugs are damaged, discard and replace the decorations.

5 – Ensure all lights, extension leads and power boards are suitable for the intended use.

6 – Don’t put your holiday lighting around or above swimming pools or have leads lying in water or wet areas.

7 – Where is that lead going to? Avoid passing electrical leads through doorways and windows where leads might be damaged. Don’t run electrical leads over walkways or driveways where they might be damaged.

8 – Consider purchasing LED lights. They use less energy and run cooler than traditional incandescent lights. They are made with epoxy lenses rather than glass and are much more durable.

9 – Check your holiday lights have insulated pins. Electrical appliances, including holiday lights sold after 2006 must have insulated pins. If it does not have insulated pins then the holiday lights do not meet the latest safety requirements.

10 – If you need to replace a bulb in a string of lights, make sure that the wattage rating of the replacement bulb you’re using matches that of the light strand. Using a bulb with too high a wattage can cause the light string to overheat, creating a fire risk

Do you need help hanging your Holiday Lights?

Don’t let a preventable accident take the enjoyment out of your holidays – whether you’re excitedly preparing for Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. The team here are Mr Electric are happy to come to your home and help you create a wonderful and safe display with your Holiday Lights. A qualified electrician will attend to all your holiday light needs including a free home safety check.

Call our customer service centre on 1300 673 532