Christmas Lighting Safety Tips

It’s that time of year again and most home owners are decorating their homes for Christmas. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), almost 1,100 house fires per year are attributed to Christmas lights and trees.

Thanksgiving has come and gone and it’s time to put up your Christmas lights before the weather gets cold. The first thing that a home owner should do when hanging Christmas lights outside the home is to ensure that the lighting is approved for exterior use. Interior-only rated lighting is not meant to get wet or be exposed to ultra-violet (UV) energy and, of course, should not be run underground. These situations can damage the wiring and present a fire or electrocution hazard. The light manufacturer’s tag and/or the box that the lighting came in will indicate if it is approved for exterior use. Also, use only Christmas lights with a UL (Underwriters Laboratories) logo on the label.

If extension cords are needed, they should first be carefully inspected for any damage. If the protective outer insulation of an extension cord or string-lights or its plug is damaged, throw it away and replace it with new. Keep in mind that any extension cord is only meant for temporary use. Where lighting needs to be plugged into an extension cord, it is wise to ensure that the connection is secure and water-tight. Placing the plug-in connection inside a plastic baggie (like a large sandwich bag) and then properly sealing it shut (such as with a zip tie) is suggested. The plug-in connection should ideally be off the ground with the baggie’s closed opening facing down to help prevent any possible rain or snow from getting into the bag. Multiple extension cords should not be strung together in series. Also, Christmas lights should be turned off when leaving the home or going to sleep.

Exterior lights and decorations should only be plugged into GFCI protected receptacles. A qualified electrician can install GFCI outlets or breakers as needed. GFCI (ground faulty circuit interrupters) help prevent electrocution or shock in case electricity comes in contact with water.

Never overload receptacles or circuits.. the rule of thumb is no more than 3 sets of incandescent string-lights per receptacle. Newer LED string lights draw less power and can likely have more than 3 sets plugged in together. The light packaging will tell you what type of lighting you have.

When installing any string lighting indoors or outdoors, always use a type of clip or other fastener designed for hanging lighting and do not insert nails, pins, tacks, or anything else into the string light’s wiring. It should be common sense, but this damages the string lighting’s wiring and can easily lead to a fire or shock hazard. Who wants to have family over on Christmas Day for dinner only to have a small arc occur in the wiring on the fireplace mantel and the home burns down. That may make for a memorable Christmas, but not a recipe for a ‘happy holiday’, if you ask me. Also, keep decorations and lights at least 3′ away from heat sources such as open flames.

Lastly, if you have a real Christmas tree, make sure you water it daily.

Family Handyman also has some useful safety tips.

Matthew Steger is a Certified Level 1 Infrared Thermographer, an ASHI Certified Inspector (ACI), and an electrical engineer. He can be reached at matthew@thehomeinspectorsnotebook.com. No article, or portion thereof, may be reproduced or copied without prior written consent of Matthew Steger.