Safety Reminders About Your Holiday Lights

The Lights

• Make sure that the extension cords and plugs are in good condition and rated for outdoor/indoor use (depending where you will install them).
• Check to be sure that your light strings carry a certified safety seal of approval.
• Check for cracked sockets and loose connections and replace, if necessary.
• Replace broken bulbs and make sure that there is a bulb in each socket.
• Always turn off your outdoor and indoor light displays before leaving the house or going to bed.

Other Equipment

• Discard any extension cords that are frayed.
• If outdoors, check your ground-level displays to make sure that extension cords have been placed over wooden stakes to keep them out of the snow and puddles.

Doing the Setup

• Position your outdoor bulbs to face the ground to prevent water moisture from entering the sockets.
• Aluminum facia and soffit is conductive and may become energized by faulty Christmas lights. 
• Always plug lights into receptacles that are protected by a ground fault circuit interruptor (GFCI). Talk to an electrician to have a GFCI installed for your outside lights.
• Assess the surrounding area where lights are installed for hazards.  Make sure that your installation does not involve running the light strings in the immediate vicinity of any electrical wires.
• If you need to use a ladder to change light bulbs, LOOK UP AND LIVE!  Make sure that you are aware of all overhead wires before setting up your ladder and only use a wooden or fibreglass ladder.
• Never make contact with service wires.  The coating on the wires is only weatherproofing and does not insulate you from making contact with the flow of electricity.

After the Season

• Remove your outdoor lights in the spring; they are not intended to be left out year-round.
• When removing your outdoor or indoor lights after the holiday season, check strings for cracked sockets and loose connections and discard them.

This page last updated 2012-02-06.