Do Christmas Lights Create A Fire Hazard?

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas for countless houses across the nation without the tree. Christmas trees, and particularly Christmas tree lights, can be shockingly dangerous for your home. In fact, injuries sustained while putting up or decorating their Christmas tree are thought to send about 15,000 people to the emergency department annually. You must be careful to prevent the potential fire damage that Christmas tree lights can create in addition to the risks associated with hanging the lights. Thankfully, our experts in Fire Damage Restoration La Cañada Flintridge are on hand to keep you secure. See our list of Christmas tree safety recommendations below, and keep in mind that you can always contact our professionals at 770 Water Damage & Restoration for all of your urgent fire and water damage needs.

10 Christmas light preservation and repair suggestions

1. Make Sure to Replace Old Lights at the Start of the Holiday Season: We are aware that you could feel sentimental about your old Christmas lights, but we assure you that they are not worth risking a house fire for. Older Christmas lights were more likely to start a fire because they were not held to the same safety standards as modern products. Additionally, there is a higher likelihood that you may have empty sockets, frayed cords, broken bulbs, or loose wires the longer you use your lights.

2. Change to Modern LED Lights: LED lights with epoxy standards are cool to the touch, so your fingers won’t get burned and your Christmas tree won’t be at risk of catching fire. In addition to being energy-efficient, LED lights have a beautiful appearance and can help you save money on your electricity bill.

3. When purchasing lights, look for the UL safety certification. Underwriters Laboratories is an independent product safety certification organization that certifies a wide range of products as being suitable for sale. Christmas light buyers should now look for the UL Safety Certification, which practically ensures that their lights won’t put their homes at risk of fire.

4. Avoid Adopting Too Many Strands at Once: The majority of people advise using the rule of threes when it comes to Christmas lights. Any more than three strands at once can cause your electrical system to become overworked, overheat your tree, and possibly raise the risk of electrical fires.

5. As long as we’re talking about how many light strands to use, it’s also important to note that it’s preferable to secure your light strands as much as you can. It is best to ground your strands/wrap them together using electrical tape or similar suitable method. This will prevent someone from tripping over them, maybe hurting themselves, harming your tree, and even causing an electrical fire in the socket.

6. Don’t Use Outdoor Lights Indoors: This is another rule that, given current manufacture, should be rather simple to understand. However, be sure to select the appropriate kind of lights for both indoor and outdoor use when you are shopping. Christmas light types are not interchangeable, and some may not be appropriate for your tree if they are intended for use outside (and vice versa.)

7. Regularly water your Christmas tree: It should go without saying that a dry tree is more likely to catch fire. Making sure your tree receives the appropriate amount of water will guarantee that it not only stays gorgeous throughout the holiday season but also that your lights don’t unintentionally damage it.

8. Turn Off Lights Before Sleeping: Even if your Christmas tree lights are the safest in the world, it’s still a good idea to turn them off before bed in case a rare catastrophe happens.

9. After the holiday season is over, you should carefully pack up your Christmas tree lights since broken bulbs might cause a fire. Aside from that, be careful where you store your lights because rats enjoy chewing on wiring and may easily turn your light strands into a meal if given the chance.

10. Ensure That Everyone in Your Home Understands the Rules: Let’s face it, accidents can happen. You should still take all reasonable precautions to limit unnecessary hazards, though. Keep pets away from the tree at all times, and instruct your children not to run around it. If your tree is close to a fireplace, heater, or anything else that could cause a fire, relocate it right away.

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