One of the most fun things about the Yuletide season is the abundance of merry, twinkling lights which start to pop up around mid-November.
Not only are they lovely to look at, but the beautiful colours and soft illumination helps to keep at bay the long cold nights by creating a welcoming atmosphere that can be enjoyed wherever you go. And not only can lovely lights be found on every street, but they soon begin to adorn the interiors of our homes as well.
However, there is another side to festive lighting which isn’t as merry as one might hope. It’s a darker, more dangerous side which many of us may not even stop to consider when we’re busy adorning our homes with multi-coloured strings and festive cheer. This danger is, of course, the electricity that’s used to power these lights.
Christmas Lighting Tragedies
There have been many instances of Christmas lighting tragedies in the UK – when families have awoken to find their once beautifully festive homes ablaze after a short circuit or piece of faulty wiring has caused an electrical fire.
Potentially the most dangerous type, electrical fires catch quickly and can be difficult to put out. But they can also be easily prevented, which makes the deaths and injuries associated with electrical fires even more tragic.
Christmas Lighting Safety Tips
To ensure that your Christmas goes off without a hitch, all you need to do is to follow certain guidelines which will help to ensure that your festive lighting remains safe and enjoyable for everyone.
Before you even install your Christmas lights, it’s important that you first check the safety of your existing sockets and household wiring. You may wish to call an electrical engineer for this, or, if you already know that something needs to be replaced, you could head over to CLE Electrical Wholesale Ltd to find the appropriate parts.
When it comes to installing your lighting, simply take into account these following rules:
- Make sure your Christmas lights aren’t broken before installing them in your home.
- Replace all failed bulbs and lamps before use.
- Only use replacement bulbs of the same sort used originally.
- Keep your lights turned off at the socket when not in use. Better yet – unplug them!
- Keep your Christmas lights away from anything flammable.
- Never overload your outlets.
- Don’t let your children play with your Christmas lights – they may look pretty, but they’re not toys.
- Don’t attempt to repair faulty lights yourself. Either get a professional to fix them, or throw them away.
