|
Don't let overloaded outlets be part of your holiday tradition. No matter what holiday you observe this December, lights are probably part of the festivities. What do you do when your décor's requirements exceed the available outlets? You may try to remedy the problem with power strips—deceiving gadgets that appear to expand your power capability while actually being potentially dangerous. Power strips offer several receptacles to accommodate multiple lights, decorations and appliances. You may make them work even harder by piggybacking strips, which means plugging power strips into other power strips. The problem is that all the electronics are ultimately powered by one outlet. So much electricity is forced through the outlet that it can be overloaded and potentially cause a fire. The Ultimate Fix to Overloaded Outlets As holidays approach, you need to consider whether you have a seasonal problem or a more serious year-round problem in your home. If you have numerous devices plugged into power strips between holidays, you may need more outlets in your home. If you only have a problem during the holidays, you need to consider ways to properly use the outlets you have. This means plugging decorations into multiple outlets, or if you still need power strips, plugging them into different outlets in the house rather than piggybacking them. You should never plug more than one high-wattage appliance into a single power strip. If you find yourself short of outlets all year, it is time to call in a licensed electrician to inspect your system and get an understanding of its condition. If possible, he can add more outlets to your home, but many older homes do not have enough electricity coming into the home to add more. In that case, you may need to increase the service to your home and then add outlets. Though updating is ideal, it can be costly, so how can you keep your home safe at the holidays with the power you have? Tips for Holiday Safety Here are a few things to keep in mind so as not to overburden your system or cause a fire during the holidays: 1. Use only decorations that bear a certification such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Canadian Standards Association (CSA), or Intertec (ETL). 2. Make sure that decorations are in good condition without damaged plugs, loose or bare wires, or loose connections. 3. Assure that the cords are not pinched by furniture, placed under rugs, located near heat sources, or attached by nails or staples that could pierce them. 4. Do not connect more than three strings of incandescent lights together. Better yet, replace your lights with LED lights that do not get as hot and use less wattage. You would have to use 40 strings of LED lights to equal the wattage required by five strings of incandescent ones. 5. Avoid piggybacking strips. 6. If you use a live Christmas tree, make sure to keep it hydrated. Dry trees and incandescent lights are a dangerous combination. 7. Turn off decorations when you go to sleep or leave the home. Give the Best Holiday Gift Following commonsense tips to avoid fires can keep your family safe during the holidays, but if you lack proper wattage or have too few outlets or other electrical problems, safety precautions are just stopgap measures. As the holidays approach, consider giving your family the gift of safety by having a licensed electrician inspect your outlets.
Related Articles -
electrical overlead, electrical repair, electrical contractor, licensed electrician, holiday fire prevention, fire prevention, home fires,
| 
