Home Safety During Putting Your Holiday Decorative Lights and Proper Power Outlets to plug your lights.

Possible Fire Hazards can be prevented if you follow the listed Precautions :

1. Using of a lot of Extension Cords can draw a lot of power from the same plug which can trip a breaker or burn your plug or potential hazard of someone tripping over the cord or exposing to harsh weather if it is not suitable for exterior use.

2. There are homes that are not wired for additional load of Christmas Outdoor Lighting and there is a need to add a separate circuit with its own breaker and GFCI plug just for that so you don’t trip the breaker and easy to control it if there is a problem and not interfering with the rest of the house.

3. If your exterior or Garage plugs are not GFCI -(Ground Fault Current Interrupter) which is mandated by National Electrical Code then you have no proper protection. GFCI plugs trip 1/40 of a second and they have a rating 15amp or 20 amp plug depending on size of your breaker they need to match. GFCI plugs are basically faster safety protective devices in addition to your breakers but act much quicker than your breakers because it carries sensors for overload and moisture and it will not work if it is not wired correctly so you need a professional Electrician to wire it because it is not simple wiring as a regular plug outlet.

4. Additional places mandated by National Electrical Code to have GFCI plugs in the House are: Bathrooms, Kitchen and Laundry Rooms along within 6 feet from the Sink where it is possible exposure to moisture.

Thanks,

Kevin