When homes in Lafayette are decorated during the holidays, it makes everything feel more festive. If you have plans for decorating your place this upcoming season, please be careful. Each year in Louisiana, electrical fires are sparked during the winter, and a lot of damage can result. There are some things you can do to lower the risk of an electrical fire at your home.

Look Out for Old Wiring

Lights can really make a place feel more magical, especially since it gets so dark so early here in Lafayette during the winter. Fortunately, modern lights have been designed with safety in mind, and newer LEDs don’t burn very hot at all. In contrast, older lights can tend to run hot when they’re plugged in. If they get too hot, this could be dangerous.

Also, older lights may have damaged wiring. When this occurs, electricity could jump out and cause a shock or an electrical fire if the flame catches on something nearby. While you might love your old decorations, it’s a good idea to get rid of anything that appears damaged. Newer items will be much safer to use.

Indoor Versus Outdoor Lighting

Some strings of lights are intended for use indoors because they’re not able to withstand the elements. In Lafayette, we can see our fair share of rain during the winter, and all of that rain could pose a problem for indoor lights. The lights would likely stop working if they got wet, but an even bigger problem would be if there was a short circuit caused by the water.

Short circuits can cause electrical shocks as well as fires. To avoid these situations, keep your indoor lights inside. Outdoor lights are made to withstand moisture and cold weather.

Overloaded Circuits

Another situation to watch out for is when circuits are overloaded. Certain homes in Lafayette are known for their outdoor decorations, and you may aspire to be like them. However, when you have multiple extension cords and power strips being utilized, it’s likely that your system is going to be overworked. One of the scenarios that could happen is that your circuit breaker trips, blocking power from the problematic outlet and any others wired to the same circuit.

A far more dangerous possibility is that the wiring would overheat. Intense heat could melt the insulation on wiring and lead to a fire. Instead of figuring out the wiring on your own, you could have a professional help you. At Comeaux Electrical Services, we can come out and assess your electrical panel, upgrading it if necessary so that you can go all out with your display.

This holiday season, be careful of old wiring, wiring that could be damaged by the weather, and overloading your circuits. Reach out to Comeaux Electrical Services if you have any questions.