Keep Your Home Safe From Fires
The holidays should be a joyous time for families to get together, put up festive light displays, and host parties for their friends. However, it is during this time of year that home fires reach their highest percentage. More home fires happen during the month of December than any other month. Most of them can be traced to faulty electrical devices, many of which are decorations that haven’t been adequately inspected before being put up. Dealing with a house fire during the holidays isn’t something that anyone should have to do.
By following a few simple tips, homeowners can keep their homes and families safe from random fires during the holiday season.
Inspect Decorations as They Are Put Up
It may not seem like it, but the decorations put up during the holiday season take a lot of abuse. Most outdoor holiday decorations are left out for more than a month. The long period exposes them to harmful UV rays that can degrade plastic parts and wiring insulation. Colder temperatures can also make wiring more brittle and prone to flaking insulation off to expose bare wiring. Bare wiring and wires with damaged insulation are the perfect environments to start a fire. Couple that with the drier humidity, and it is the ideal recipe for disaster.
Indoor decorations are also subject to unexpected abuse. Responsible holiday celebrators will be diligent in unplugging decorations every night before bed. The repetitive plugging and unplugging of decorations can damage plugs and outlets and make them more prone to overheating.
Finally, as homeowners decorate for the season, they should pay attention to the load they are placing on a particular circuit. Overloaded circuits are one of the main causes of household fires. Checking the current draw of common decorations can give decorators an idea of the load a circuit is carrying.
Check Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide Sensors
Smoke detectors are a homeowner’s first line of defense against fire damage. But, smoke detectors take yearly maintenance to keep them operating throughout the year. Smoke detectors should be checked quarterly to verify their operation. They should have their batteries changed yearly as well, so that they are always ready to warn a home’s occupants about a fire.
Carbon monoxide detectors should be checked along with smoke detectors, along with smoke detectors, and their batteries should be changed on the same schedule. Every home should have carbon monoxide detectors placed near gas appliances. Carbon monoxide detectors help protect homes against a build-up of poisonous, odorless gas resulting from low combustion in gas appliances and fireplaces. Checking them and replacing batteries will help keep families safe from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Turn Off All Decorations Overnight
All holiday decorations carry a warning not to leave them unattended. The reason for this warning is to mitigate the risks that decorating for the holidays can bring. Decorations should be unplugged when no one is home or when it is bedtime. Decorations can also be placed on timers to ensure that the decorations will be turned off when no one is around. Doing so will lessen the risk that holiday decorations may spark a fire.
About Electrical Connections LLC
Electrical Connections LLC has been serving residential customers in Gaithersburg since 2003. With a passion for residential customers, we put our expert craftsmanship to work for local homeowners. Our punctual appointments and 24-hour emergency service make our quality workmanship available at your convenience. Call us today for electrical panel repairs and other electrical services in Gaithersburg.
