Christmas tips to stay safe

Christmas is a wonderful time of year but in terms of your home electrical safety it’s also a bit unique. 

Christmas is a wonderful time of year but in terms of your home electrical safety it’s also a bit unique. Homes all over the Gold Coast are stringing up festive lights at the moment, both indoors and outdoors. While we enjoy the festive spirit we should also take a moment to consider our electrical safety for our Gold Coast homes. As your favourite  Gold Coast electricians we thought we would offer you some helpful advice.

Christmas Lights

Firstly, are you using last year’s Christmas lights? If so please check them. Make sure they still look like they are in good condition and have no obvious points of wear. Electrical fires are the largest cause of property loss, causing an estimated $9.8 in damage in 2017.  

If you are buying your Christmas lights new then buy only Australian-compliant Christmas lights. If you are buying lights over the Internet then please be careful. Where possible get your lights from a reputable Australian supplier.

Do not alter or modify your lights in any way.

Use outdoor lights for outdoors and use indoor lights free indoors.

If you are using extension cords then make sure they are rated for their intended use. Use power boards fitted with overload protection.

The Queensland Fire Service have a developed a nice checklist for Christmas Tree Safety that is worth looking at.  

Gold Coast Electrician
Gold Coast Brisbane electrician
Christmas safety

SAFETY SWITCHES

We have written about electrical safety switches before. You might want to read our article Safety Switches Save Lives. Safety switches are especially important at this time of year, when we are stringing up extra lights and electrical devices in our homes and yards. To ensure that you and your loved ones are safe from any possible defects please make sure your safety switches are fully functional. You should also check your smoke detector. A smouldering electrical circuit could be picked up by a functioning smoke detector, giving you an important early warning about impending problems. You can read our article Types of Smoke Detectors for more information.

RECALLS

Keep an eye out for product recalls. Make sure that none of the lights that you are using have been recalled for safety reasons. The link below will take you to Product Safety Australia’s recall webpage.

Product Recalls

Have a wonderful Christmas

South East Electrical Services wish all our clients a safe and happy Christmas.

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