December 2, 2023 - Christmas Wonder Lights - Houston Christmas Light Installation
Get your Houston Christmas light installation done safely with these top tips! Avoid electrical hazards, use verified lighting, and ask for help if needed.
Today, we sat down with our Houston Christmas light installation crew to ask their top dos and don’ts of holiday lighting for Houston homeowners because strands of sparkling lights may bring Christmas cheer if they are hung incorrectly; they can damage your home.
Before you grab your ladder and take down the boxes of holiday lights you have stored all year, may we suggest reviewing our list of do’s and don’ts for hanging holiday lighting in Houston. If you'd rather skip all the hassle, the other option would be to hire a Houston Christmas light installation company that takes all of your electrical concerns and questions seriously. Whether you have questions about a tripped breaker or issues with your holiday lighting, our Houston crew is here to help.
Do:
Examine Lights Before Hanging
Return or throw away any holiday lighting sets with cracked or broken sockets, loose connections, or frayed wires.
Replace burned-out bulbs promptly with bulbs of the same wattage.
Avoiding hanging lights with damaged electrical wiring leads to a potentially flammable short.
Use Verified Lighting, Appropriate Outdoor Outlets (110), and outdoor-rated extension cord.
Only use lights tested, rated, and approved by Underwriters Laboratory (UL) or Intertek (ETL Semko) for outside use. These safety ratings should be clearly marked on the packaging and with labels attached to the cords.
Plug all outdoor electrical decorations into a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). This safety outlet is designed to cut the power if electricity comes into contact with water, which is common outside. You are able to buy portable GFCI units for outdoor use or have one installed for you.
Consider Using LEDs over Incandescent Bulbs
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, LED lights are about 75 percent more efficient than conventional incandescent lights because this makes your electrical load more than seven times smaller. This is why our Houston Christmas Light Installation crews use only commercial-grade products and LED lights.
Ask for Help
Holiday lighting installed by Houston homeowners can be a risk. If you are unsure of what you are doing, you can damage your home or hurt yourself, especially if your roof has steep pitches or multiple levels. If you don’t feel comfortable, it is important to seek assistance from a Houston Christmas light installation professional or find a friend or family member who is willing to lend a helping hand. Contact us today to schedule a free estimate for holiday lighting in Houston, Katy, Cypress, or the surrounding area.
Houston Christmas Light Installation Don’t:
Do not power too many holiday lights using the same outlet or extension cord. Each standard circuit breaker is able to handle about 15 amps of current. The commercial-grade lighting our Houston Christmas light installation crew uses only draws a few milliamps individually. However, when you add more to your display, it can become easy to overload and, therefore, trip a breaker like you see Chevy Chase do in the movie National Lampoon Christmas Vacation.
When this happens, it can potentially cause serious damage to your electrical system. Plus, the more lights you connect end to end, the further the power must travel, leading to dimmer lights.
Never Use Staples, Tacks, or Nails – They Can Damage Your Home
It’s fairly common for a string of holiday lights to have exposed electrical wiring in some areas. Unfortunately, using metal fasteners like staples, tacks, or nails could set your home on fire.
Additionally, if metal components come in contact with a live string of holiday lighting and then the current touches the metal components of your home, such as your gutters or downspouts, it creates an electrocution hazard.
Always use insulated holders or plastic roof clips designed especially for Christmas light installation. Houston always airs on the safe side and sticks with LED rather than incandescent, which require a more significant power current; connecting them together one after the other causes the power drawn by the incandescent lights to overload — and then fry — the strings.
It’s better to keep holiday lighting strands completely separate, running each out of a different outlet to avoid frying your electrical wiring.
Free Estimate For Houston Christmas Light Installation
Our Houston Christmas light installation crew helps homeowners and commercial property owners with holiday lights in Houston, Katy, Cypress, and the surrounding area. Call us today before Santa's big day to get your lights hung with care.
Our Houston Christmas light pros will provide all the materials, from holiday lights to clips, cords, and timers. We will set them up, remove them, and provide you with 24-hour maintenance. Call 281-545-7740 today!
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