Light Up For The Holidays

It’s time to make your list, check it twice, and get your home in the holiday spirit.

Take advantage of the milder temperatures right now to get your holiday lights up – and to get it done safely, consider these tips from Hydro One:

• Always use Canadian Standards Association (CSA) approved lights, cords, plugs and sockets that are properly marked for outdoor or indoor use.

• Do not overload circuits. Have no more than 1,400 watts on a circuit. If other lights in the house dim when the holiday lighting is turned on or the plug is very hot after unplugging it, your circuit is overloaded. To figure out a circuit’s load, multiply the number of bulbs by the watts per bulb, and add any lamps, appliances or other equipment on the same circuit.

• Before you put light strings on a shrub, tree or your house, check for breaks or signs of insulation deterioration. Frayed cords or loose connections indicate that the wiring is poor. Replace any defective sets.

• Never install lights with the power on. Test lights first, then unplug to install.

• Keep electrical connections off the ground. Use eave clips or insulated staples, rather than nails and tacks, to hold light strings in place.

• Keep wiring clear of metal parts such as ornamental railings and drainpipes, to prevent any risk of shock from an electrical current. Do not leave any light sockets empty if you want sections in your light string unlit. This can create a fire hazard or could be fatal if someone touches the inside of the empty socket. Instead place a burned-out bulb in the socket. This will not affect the other lights on the string.

In addition to safety, why not save energy as well this holiday season? Make the switch to light emitting diode (LED) lights and enjoy significant energy and cost savings. According to Natural Resources Canada, LEDs use 80 per cent less energy than their incandescent counterparts, so now is the time to upgrade your old incandescent strings.

If you’re still not sure, consider this: incandescent bulbs waste a lot of energy – 90 per cent of the energy they consume is used to heat the bulb, while only 10 per cent is used for lighting. LEDs, by contrast, directly convert electricity to light without the use of a filament or glass bulb, resulting in less energy loss through heat.

LED light strings also last up to 10 times longer than incandescent light strings. And because they don’t have moving parts, filaments or glass, they’re much more durable and shock-resistant than other light strings.

Courtesy: Homeservice Club