Holiday Lighting

The holidays are filled with laughter and joy. Make sure it stays that way by protecting your family and loved ones with the following tips:

• Turn Christmas lights off during the day or when you are away or asleep. Timers are a simple way to do this and also are a safety measure since lights can cause fires if not used properly. For safety’s sake, unplug your lights before going to bed or leaving home.
• Protect little fingers: Make sure there’s a bulb in each socket. If a bulb is burned out, leave it in until you have a replacement.
• For outdoor lights, use Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) on each circuit that automatically shut off the current when a leak is detected.
• Cover outdoor plugs and connector joints with a water-resistant layer of plastic wrap and electrical tape.
• Make sure your lights have a safety listing from Underwriters Laboratories (UL symbol), and use lights only as intended.

Don’t overload your electric circuits. Check your circuit breaker panel to see how much your home can handle; stay well within limits.