Our electricians stoke team would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Everyone tends to love Christmas and as we get in the festive spirit we start to use our electrical systems and appliances more. Many homes will be busy decorating their properties with Christmas displays and Christmas lights.
In order to enjoy your Christmas lights, it is good practice to ensure that you display them correctly and safely. Around 350 people annually encounter home accidents involving Christmas lights. Christmas lights that are not electrically safe can be hazardous and potentially introduce you to avoidable risks. To prevent fires and other injuries you need to rake the necessary precautions and preparations.
- We suggest that you only ever buy lights that come with the relevant safety marks e.g. BS Kitemark. That you purchase from a reputable, known and trusted store and avoid buying anything second hand unless it has been checked by a professional first.
When taking your old lights out of storage consider their age and if you could benefit from an entire new set. If they are quite old, you may find newer versions such as LED lights will be more beneficial specially to reducing electricity costs.- In your initial checks, inspect cables and bulbs for damage if you find any do not continue using and dispose of them safely and correctly. Do not make any attempts to fix them yourself or make repairs this could be dangerous and could void your insurance policies if there was to be any accidents.
- Only ever use the manufactures instructions and the purpose the lights were intended for. For example, don’t use outdoors if they are designed only to be used inside. Also check the fuses are the right type again read the box for the maximum size of fuse you should use.
- Be careful of fire hazards such as leaving lights on for excessive periods of time especially unattended. Always switch off if you intend to leave the room to go to bed or if you are going out. It takes less than 1 minute for fairy lights to catch fire and to burn through the home as this video from the Fire Kills Campaign demonstrates.
- Again to avoid risk of fires do not allow bulbs to touch anything flammable or that can easily burn such as paper or Christmas decorations. When plugging in your lights check that you do not overload sockets or extension leads.
- When it comes to storage be careful when removing and packing them that they do not become damaged in the process. Store somewhere suitable that is in a safe place out of children’s reach and in not over excessive damp or humid conditions.
This post has some basic tips on how to maintain and prepare your Christmas lights for use and how to safely use them once displayed. Hopefully this advice from professional electricians will help keep your household protected from any potential dangers. If you need further advice, then our electricians stoke team would be more than happy to help with your enquiries.