However you celebrate the holidays, you’re probably looking forward to family time, tasty food, and festive lights and decorations galore. But as you enjoy twinkling lights and toasty cups of cocoa, there’s one other thing you should keep in mind: the safety of your home’s electrical system.
Plugging in too many holiday lights and decorations — or filling your home up with energy-hungry houseguests — can cause a problem commonly known as electrical overload. Here’s what you need to know about how to avoid electrical overloads during the winter holidays!
What Happens During an Electrical Overload?
Avoiding electrical overloads begins with understanding them. An electrical overload occurs when too much electricity flows through a circuit, causing the wires to overheat due to excessive current, potentially leading to melted insulation, sparks, or even electrical fires.
Luckily, our modern electrical systems include built-in safeguards to stop electrical overloads, known as circuit breakers. Circuit breakers “trip” when too many devices are trying to draw power from the same circuit, causing the affected circuit to shut off to prevent further damage.
While circuit breakers are an essential safety feature, they aren’t foolproof — and tripping them too often can damage your electrical panel prematurely, leading to costly repairs later down the line. With this in mind, the safest thing to do is minimize the possibility of overloaded circuits as often as possible. Below, you’ll find a few tips you can use to accomplish this goal!
Tip #1: Take Advantage of Timers
You can prevent excessive stress on your electrical circuits by setting up plug-in timers for holiday lights and decorations (or by purchasing products with built-in timing features). Not only does this help you avoid the inconvenience of an overloaded electrical system during a family feast or a holiday movie night, but it’s also a smart way of saving energy and money while maintaining the festive spirit.
As you’re shopping for timers, make sure to keep quality in mind. Anything you plug into your electrical system should be rock-solid, and cheapening out on electrical components can do a lot of damage. Look for well-reviewed, safety-tested products that provide peace of mind — it can make the difference between a calm evening and a complete catastrophe.
Tip #2: Invest in LED Holiday Lights
One of the most effective ways to reduce your home’s electrical load is to make the switch to LED lights. Whether you’re stringing up outdoor lights on the roof or decorating indoors, LED lights are leagues more efficient, cool to the touch, and significantly brighter. Their reduced demand on your home’s electrical system not only helps prevent electrical overloads, but also creates fewer fire hazards. Traditional holiday lights can give off too much heat to be safe near trees, curtains, and other flammable materials, so LED bulbs are a much wiser selection for electrical safety and peace of mind.
Tip #3: Be Cord-Cautious
Whether you’re spending the holidays with just a few family members or you’re hosting your whole friend group, it can be tempting to grab some extension cords or plug in a power strip so everyone can stay powered up. However, power strips and extension cords should always be handled with care — both to prevent the chance of an overloaded circuit and to keep people and property safe from the dangers posed by electrical issues. Here are some tips from our pros:
- Damaged extension cords and power strips can pose a serious electrical fire risk. If you notice frayed wires, faulty prongs, or other suspicious signs, dispose of the cord immediately.
- Avoid overloading outlets. Similarly, never plug too many devices, decorations, or lighting fixtures into one power strip or extension cord.
- Do not use extension cords or power strips with high-power appliances like space heaters or air fryers. Plug these items directly into a safe and functional outlet to avoid creating a fire hazard.
- Avoid connecting multiple extension cords or power strips to each other. Instead, move your holiday decorations so that the extension cord can reach the outlet safely.
- Place extension cords far away from fireplaces, cooktops, and high-traffic areas to avoid burning or tripping hazards, and always keep them out of reach of kids and pets.
- Use surge protectors whenever possible. Surge protection devices help minimize the risk of an electrical surge, which can seriously damage decorations, appliances, and sensitive electronic devices.
Tip #4: Retire Damaged Electrical Decorations
While tradition makes the holidays special, it’s a fact of life that some holiday decorations can’t last forever. Eventually, worn-out electronic decorations can begin malfunctioning, which can put unnecessary strain on your home’s electrical load and threaten your safety. Here are a few signs that it’s time to say sayonara to that old Santa:
- Exposed, frayed, or otherwise broken wires
- Broken or cracked sockets
- A burning smell during electrical usage
- Flickering or dimming lights (especially after broken bulbs have already been replaced)
- Electrical cords that give off excessive heat
- Discoloration or burn marks
- Water damage or previous moisture exposure
Tip #5: Upgrade Your Electrical Panel
The simplest way to prevent electrical overloads is to make sure your electrical panel can handle all that festive spirit! Outdated wiring, damaged breakers, or inadequate electrical capacity are all signs that it’s time to give yourself the gift of a panel upgrade. A professional electrician at Go Green can assess your electrical panel, make recommendations for whole-home rewiring work, and provide tips on preventing potential fire hazards. We can even install dedicated circuits for outdoor decorations!
Stay Safely Powered Up This Season!
When you’re running around during the busy holiday season, it can be easy to forget about the little things. However, electrical safety is far from a small detail. A safe, efficient electrical system is a necessity for any household, whether or not you plan on doing any holiday hosting.
So don’t risk the safety of your loved ones — call Go Green for electrical lighting installation in Greensboro, NC, or the nearby areas.
Whether you’re interested in our maintenance program, our Premier Program, or need a one-time repair, we’re always here to help make your holidays safer and happier!
