A Twinkling Tale of Troubles
There's nothing like stringing up lights and decorating the house to make things feel festive. When things go awry, the twinkling bulbs can turn into a nightmare for homeowners. Overloaded circuits, melted extension cords, and old lights can be a disaster. Some of these mishaps can also be an amusing but bothersome problem.
Let's learn from some laughable but cautionary tales so you can deck the halls, but not your power system.
National Lamp-Out's Christmas Mishap
We've all seen the house that's so lit up you can spot it from space. It's like a scene from a well-known movie, and it may power the entire neighborhood. A local family decided to turn their yard and home into a winter wonderland with over 10,000 lights. Unfortunately, their breaker box had plans of its own.
When they plugged in the final set of icicle lights, the family and some neighbors stood back, ready to admire the home. At that moment, the entire street went dark, including their home. It turns out the set up was overloaded and caused some upset neighbors plus a heavy repair bill.
To avoid this mistake, calculate the wattage of your lights and spread them across multiple circuits. Invest in LED lights because they are energy-efficient and less likely to trip a breaker.
The Christmas Eve Oops
A cozy Christmas Eve with hot cocoa, softly falling snow and a fire roaring in the fireplace. Suddenly, the smell of cinnamon and cocoa is replaced with melting plastic. Not a very festive or cheery home scent. This happened to a homeowner who thought an indoor extension cord could handle the outdoor display.
It couldn't handle the load and overheated, almost causing a fire. While the Christmas Eve interruption is a funny story now, it was a dangerous and close call at the time. To make sure this doesn't happen to you, use outdoor-rated cords for outdoor lighting. They're made for weather and to handle higher wattages safely.
Is That Santa on the Roof?
This one belongs in a blooper reel. A father in the neigbhorhood decided to hang some lights on his roofline and didn't check the ladder.
Halfway through the job, the ladder shifted over. It left him stranded on the roof until his family returned. They pulled into the driveway to see him sitting on the edge of the roof with his arms crossed and looking bewildered.
The story ends with a laugh, but it could have been dangerous. Ladder accidents are one of the leading causes of holiday-related injuries in the United States. Make sure your ladders are always stable and have someone there to hold it steady. When in doubt, hire a professional.
An Unintentional Light Display
It was a quiet and cheerful Christmas time when a storm blew through the neighborhood. One home had several lights strung across their roof line and on the windows. When the storm came through, the non-weatherproof lights got soaked. Their light display turned into a shower of sparks and the house went dark once a fuse blew.
Holiday lights look great, but electricity and water don't mix. Make sure you have outdoor lights that are weather-ready and water-resistant. Adding surge protectors can also help against holiday power surges.
Wrapping Up the Season Safely
Some lighting disasters can be funny stories, but they can also be costly or dangerous. Avoiding the problem requires some planning and having the right lights and right equipment.
As your neighborhood electrician, Clements Electric is here to help you out. Maybe you need advice, an inspection before putting up your display, or a surge protector for your home. Whatever it is, give us a call. Let's make sure your season is as bright and safe as it is merry.
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