Holiday Lights: Cord and Outlet Checks Before You Hang Them

Check every cord before it leaves the box

Pull each light string and extension cord out and look at the whole length. Frayed insulation, bare wire, cracked sockets, melted plastic or loose plugs mean that set is done. Throw it out. Don't tape over damaged wire and don't try to "fix" a cut with electrical tape for the season. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says to check every set, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections, and to toss damaged sets.

Same rule for extension cords. Cuts, pinches and fraying are a hard no. Cords that get walked on, pinched in a door or window, or buried under a rug wear out faster than people think.

Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Outdoor lights need outdoor-rated gear

Indoor light strings and indoor extension cords do not belong outside. Look for the "outdoor" marking on the package or the cord itself. Outdoor lights should plug into a GFCI-protected outlet, or into a portable outdoor GFCI if the receptacle isn't protected. The Electrical Safety Foundation International also warns against overloading outlets with too many decorations, because overloaded outlets can overheat and start a fire.

Don't daisy-chain a big stack of old incandescent strings. Keep outdoor cords out of standing water and snow, and turn decorations off when you leave the house or go to bed.

Source: Electrical Safety Foundation International

When outlets and breakers say stop

Warm outlets, a burning smell at a plug, flickering lights when decorations turn on, or a breaker that keeps tripping are stop signs. Unplug the decorations and leave that circuit alone. Never open an electrical panel yourself to chase a holiday-lighting problem. That is a job for a qualified electrician.

If outlets around the house feel hot, or breakers trip with nothing plugged in that should trip them, call a qualified electrician. Holiday lights are not worth a fire or a shock.