Who has put their Christmas tree and Christmas lights up already? Whether you are eager to start the festive season or prefer to wait till it’s almost too late to get them out, the holiday season is upon us and the shops are full of decorations to display in our homes.
The majority of Christmas decorations involve twinkly lights of some sort and at the end of the festive season we pack them away to reuse year after year. Because of this, we have decided to compile a list of Christmas lights safety tips, to ensure your lights are safe to use every time the festive season comes around.
- Avoid overloading plug sockets. If you have a number of Christmas lights, all with their own plug, use a plug extension. There are lots of options out there to buy, including ones with up to 10 socket extension plugs for when you need a few extra sockets to power all of your Christmas lights.
- Never run the cables to your Christmas lights under carpets. If you cannot visibly see the cables, they can often get damaged by people walking over them or when furniture is moved, which could cause a fire risk hazard.
- Make sure you hang your lights spaced out correctly and not all bunched up together. If they are not spaced out, they could overheat.
- Christmas tree lights are extremely pretty and really finish off the festive look. However, make sure any Christmas tree lights are not too close or touching other decorations on the tree. The lights can become very hot and overheat.
- Never use your indoor Christmas lights outside. If you are wanting outside Christmas lights make sure they are labelled suitable for outside use.
- Before you hang up and turn on any Christmas lights, make sure you have given them a once over. Check for any damage, frayed wires, and broken bulbs.
- Make sure you turn off and unplug all of your Christmas lights when you leave the home or go to bed. Faulty lights can burn down a home in only a matter of minutes. Don’t take the risk, turning them off only takes a few minutes.
- If the cords of your Christmas tree lights ever start to feel warm when in use, turn them off, unplug them and stop using them.
- Never windup together the electrical cords of your Christmas lights when in use and this can cause them to overheat and start a fire.
- If you are wanting to save energy, use LED Christmas lights. They use a lot less power to light and are cooler than traditional Christmas lighting.
- Do not use any flammable products near your Christmas tree lights, such as fake snow and angel hair.
- If you are having to use a ladder to hang up your Christmas lights, make sure you have someone helping you, making sure the ladder is secure.
- Don’t put nails, tacks or staples through the wires of your Christmas lights to hang them up. They can damage the wiring, which could be hazardous.
- Who loves a real Christmas tree? Whilst they look and smell great, they are the perfect fire starter if left around the home. Make sure you dispose of it as soon as the festive season is over.
Have a lovely and safe festive season with your Christmas lights this Christmas!
