Holiday Lights: Avoid Electric Overload with Help from an Electrician

No other types of lights can be as versatile, charming, and cost-efficient as string lights. Available in a range of color combinations, designs, and lighting effects (e.g. steady single color, blinking with different colors), string lights are often used as unique decorations and for mood lighting. When creatively arranged, string lights can significantly enhance the festive mood in special occasions, such as weddings, outdoor parties, and Holiday celebrations.

Know the Limits of Your Breakers

Before hanging up those boxes of lights, however, it would be a great idea to determine the electrical capacity of your home and ensure its safety with the help of an experienced electrician. An electrician can determine the limits of your breakers or your home’s total wattage capacity and let you know the best kind of lights to put up without creating a fire hazard. Although most homes have a capacity of 200 amps electrical power and an overload is unlikely to happen with string lights, you should still know how many lights you can plug in a single circuit.

Check the Lights

Regardless if your lights are used or brand new, take time to make sure that they’re in good condition and are functioning properly. Throw out lights with frayed, open, or damaged wires. Check the wattage or amp rating of bulbs so you won’t exceed the total load capacity of a circuit. See to it that your lights have a UL label and are used accordingly, wherein indoor lights should be kept indoors and not used as outside decor. Moreover, keep an eye on your extension cords to prevent overheating. When they’re too hot, unplug them and try to keep connector pieces off the ground.

Use Low Wattage LED Lights

Low wattage LED lights reduces the risk of circuit overloads and allows for more energy savings. Unlike ordinary lights, LED lights have a more subdued glow and generate less heat. Since they consume only 20 percent the amount of electricity that regular incandescent lights use, LED lights minimize the load on each electrical outlet.

Source:

Christmas Lights, Without Tripping Breakers, Networx.com