Happy Holidays from Paramount Electric! This time of year is full of joy and cheer, but it’s also a time to look out for electrical hazards. Things like holiday lights, festive decorations, and home heating during cold weather may pose electrical dangers in the home. To help keep you and your family safe this season, we’ve put together a list of holiday electrical safety tips.
Follow these tips to help protect your home from holiday electrical hazards:
- Inspect all holiday decorations to make sure they don’t have any frayed or pinched wires.
- Keep decorations or any other flammable items at least 3 feet away from fireplaces, candles, and other heating sources.
- Be careful not to overload electrical outlets as you decorate.
- Never string together multiple extension cords or run them under rugs, carpets, or furniture.
- Never leave cooking equipment unattended.
- Water your Christmas tree daily, and discard it as soon as it dries out and begins to drop needles.
- Make sure smoke alarms are installed in every bedroom, outside every sleeping area, and on every level of your home.
A Word on Home Heating Safety
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that one-third of home heating fires are caused by space heaters. In addition to the holiday electrical safety tips above, make sure you do the following:
- Never leave a space heater unattended. Turn it off when you’re leaving a room, leaving the house, or going to sleep.
- Plug space heaters directly into electrical outlets. Do not use extension cords.
- Keep portable space heaters at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn—including upholstered furniture, bedding, paper, and holiday decorations.
- Never let pets or children play too close to a space heater.
For more advice on home heating safety, watch this helpful video from the NFPA.
More Info on Holiday Electrical Safety
Want more safety tips for the holidays? Check out this infographic on how to Avoid the 12 Dangers of Christmas from Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI). Also, stay tuned for Paramount Audio Visual’s upcoming post with info on how to boost holiday electrical safety with home automation.
If you have any questions or concerns about holiday electrical safety, or if you want help with your outdoor lighting project, contact us! Call our office at 314-266-6551 or email
