Electrical Safety Tips for Christmas

Christmas is renowned for being a time of festive spirit, happiness and cheer. For many, there isn’t anything more comforting than decorating the house surrounding by your loved ones.

Whether you decide to decorate the entire house or simply just your Christmas tree, there are a number of electrical hazards that you should be aware of. Christmas is a common time for house fires, and a large proportion of these fires are directly caused by faulty electrics or electrical issues.

To reduce any unexpected accidents ruining your celebrations, we recommend taking a few minutes to read our Christmas electrical safety tips and advice.

Christmas lights are often neglected for a whole year and many are kept uncovered in the worst of conditions. If Christmas lights are left in unsecured packaging, we recommend discarding them immediately and replacing them with a brand new set. It is important that you thoroughly inspect and test your Christmas lights prior to decorating.

As experienced electrical contractors, we recommend following a few simple steps before you begin decorating:

Before you begin to lighten up your Christmas tree, make sure you thoroughly check and inspect every inch of your Christmas lights. It is important to make sure you check for any split, broken or damaged wires. Exposed wiring can lead to serious injury if left unattended.

 A residual current device, or an RCD, is a device which is designed to prevent you from receiving any potentially fatal electrical shocks if you happen to touch a live, bare wire. Connecting all outdoor lighting to one of these devices will not only prevent you from being shocked, but can also provide protection against electrical fires.

Instructions are provided on or in the packaging for a reason. Before you begin to decorate your tree, make sure you read and follow all instructions provided. Some manufacturers may advise you to avoid placing decorations in certain areas, so it is important that you check these before you begin decorating.

No matter how tempting it may be, even if you are short on available sockets, NEVER overload power sockets. Overloading power sockets can lead to the socket overheating and can result in a fire.

When you go to bed or decide to leave the house, make sure you remember to turn off the lights. It is common to simply forget to turn off the Christmas lights, however doing so can be very dangerous. If you feel that you may be forgetful at time, we recommend adding your decorations to a timer which will automatically turn them off after a specific time-period.

As we have previously mentioned, a large proportion of house fires are started around the Christmas season are caused by electrical issues. Most electrics simply require just a single spark to ignite your Christmas tree.

However, there are a few steps you can take to prevent your Christmas tree and your celebrations going up in flames.

Nowadays, many people opt for an artificial Christmas tree. If this year you have decided to buy an artificial Christmas tree, make sure you choose one which is fire resistant. Alternatively, if you cannot find a fire resistant artificial tree, you can purchase fire retardant spray which would ‘flame-proof’ your tree.

Make sure that before you begin building or decorating your tree that it is a safe distance away from any heat sources. Anything from furnaces, electric-heaters and lamps/lighting can quickly heat up and begin to burn your Christmas tree and its decorations.

If you have pets or young children around your home, we strongly recommend keeping an eye on them. No matter what you do, never leave your pets or young children unattended around your Christmas tree.

If you have decided to buy an authentic Christmas tree, we recommend watering it daily to prevent it from drying out. By watering your Christmas tree, your likelihood for your tree catching fire will be severely reduced. However, make sure to keep an eye out for any electrical appliances or sockets nearby.

Although this should be tested every single month, we recommend testing your smoke alarm monthly to make sure that it is in full working condition. Regardless of how irritating or annoying it may be when you burn your dinner, never remove the batteries from your smoke alarm. The only time your smoke alarm should ever have its batteries removed is when you are replacing them.

The team here at Keith Gunn Electrical Solutions cannot stress enough the importance of electrical safety. Irrespective of the time of year, it is crucial that you take extra precautions when it comes to electrical safety to prevent any possible dangers.

If you feel you are experiencing some electrical issues within your home or property, do not take this risk this festive period. Get in touch with us today by calling us on 0131 225 3205 or emailing us directly at connect@kges.co.uk.