Whether you decide to deck your halls or not, the odds are pretty high that you’re going to be using a lot more electricity this holiday season. Between decorating, hours of cooking, and tons of guests, your average Maryland home is going to alight with energy use. And mostly, that’s just fine. As long as you do what you can to stay safe.

At GAC Services, the only thing our experts take more seriously than providing top-class service is your safety! Electrical complications, fires, and injuries relating to electricity are very common in the winter months. And to avoid risks, and keep your family safe, our experts built this handy list of safety tips!

Looking for electrical repair or dedicated circuit installation for your Maryland home? Contact GAC Services online today!

7 Great Tips for Holiday Electrical Safety

Most safety tips are going to relate to simple preparation. After all, safety should always come first, both in concept, and in practice. Use these tips to reduce risks and keep your holiday happy this year:

• Don’t overload outlets. Such a common issue, and one that can be easily avoided! Overloading an outlet is very easy when you’ve got five strands of lights, three appliances, and an oven all on one outlet. Spread out your decorations, and if you find a lack of outlets, just get more installed!
• Never chain extension cords. Chained cords are a huge, huge electrical fire hazard. They simply weren’t meant to be used in this way. Your best bet when you need more length is to go to the hardware store, hands-down.
• Swap to LED lights. Traditional holiday lights actually eat up way more power than you’d think, and can put off a lot of heat. Especially once they’re a few years old. LEDs, by comparison, use as little as ten percent of the power, last far longer, and put off virtually zero heat. Much safer for your home by far, and cheaper to run!
• Hang your lights with clips. And while we’re talking about lights, never use nails or staples! The risk of damaging the cords is very high, and can bring you a lot of electrical risk that you just don’t want. Clips are cheap, readily available, and allow you to hang lights way faster; the perfect solution!
• Use dedicated circuits. Dedicated circuits are exactly what they sound like, a circuit in your breaker box that is completely dedicated to the use of a single appliance. From HVAC systems to microwaves, most home appliances should be using them. Not only are they code, they’re safer and don’t run the risk of tripping breakers, too.
• Install GFCIs outdoors. Are your outdoor outlets GFCIs (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters)? If not, rain and snow can put your decorations (and home!) in jeopardy.
• Pay attention to your tree! What does your tree have to do with electricity? Well, alive, nothing at all. But if your tree dries out and begins to die, it’s just well-cured firewood just waiting for an excuse to go up in flame. Keep your tree watered frequently, and keep a close eye when it starts to lose needles.

Contact GAC for Electrical Services in Maryland!

Looking to add some outlets, or need some electrical repair to restore safety in your home? Our certified master electricians stand ready to help, providing fast, effective services that guarantee your needs are totally met. Contact us online today to learn more, or give us a call at {{dc:acf:option_field field=”contact_info_phone_text”}}