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Shining a light on holiday safety

Consumer Reports News: November 25, 2009 12:05 PM

Lots of us will start decorating our homes for the holidays this Thanksgiving weekend.  Before you hang your first light string, here are some safety tips to consider:
  • Holiday string lights shouldn't be used year round.
  • All lights should be carefully inspected after each 90-day season. Look for loose or missing bulbs, cracked sockets and frayed wiring. If you find any defects or have any questions about their safety, throw the lights out.
  • If your outdoor light strings are more than three years old, we recommend ditching them for new ones. Exposure to the elements—wind, rain, and UV light—can wreak havoc on wire insulation and light sockets.
  • When you're buying new light strings, look for the holographic Underwriters Laboratories (UL)  label on the cord, not just the packaging. The label should be a made of a silver or gold foil with a holographic image of the UL logo. Those with green UL logos should be used indoors only; red UL logos can be used indoors and out.
  • Don't connect more than three strings of lights with push-in bulbs—it puts too much electrical load on the wires. The new LED light strings draw less power and are more forgiving. You can connect up to 50 of those strings together.
  • Use plastic hooks or clips instead of staples, nails, or metal hooks to hang your lights. Plastic is an insulator.
  • Climbing on a ladder to hang your lights? Follow our ladder safety tips. Holiday-decorating injuries send an estimated 5,800 people to emergency rooms each year; many of them from falling off ladders.
  • Keep small bulbs away from children and pets who might choke on them.
  • Turn off lights and other electrical displays before you go to bed. Holiday and decorative lights start about 170 home fires a year.
  • Store lights in a dry, protected place where they won't get damp or damaged.—Don Mays
   

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