The silly season is upon us and it’s that time of year when the Christmas tree comes out, the decorations get put up and the festive lights go on, both inside and outside the home. With all the additional electrical devices in use, it’s worth an extra bit of vigilance to help avoid electrical accidents at home this Christmas.
Ensure Your Lights Comply With Australian Safety Standards
Always buy your Christmas lights from reputable retailers and ensure that they carry a regulatory compliance mark. Never buy second hand lights or unpackaged Christmas lights from a market or garage sale.
Discard Any Damaged Lights and Decorations
Check for any wear, tear and damage to your decorations and discard any that have bare wires or loose connections. Not only do they pose a fire risk but you are putting family member of serious electric shock.
Test Your Smoke Alarms and Safety Switches
Now is the time to ensure all the safety devices are working effectively in your home to avoid electrical accidents this festive season. Test your smoke alarms and safety switches (RCD) and either replace batteries if you’re still using battery operated smoke alarms or give us a call to install or replace safety switches.
Avoid Overloading Power Point Sockets and Extensions
This is one of the biggest problems we see at this time of year as many people find they don’t have enough power point sockets to cope with the number of plugs required for all the additional electrical devices. Overloading power boards is one of the most common causes of frequent circuit breaker tripping.
Never ‘daisy-chain’ power boards. Installing new power points is a quick and easy job for an electrician so if you’re finding that you don’t have enough sockets to manage all of your electrical needs, give us a call.
Turn Devices Off When Not In Use
NEVER leave Christmas lights on overnight. Always ensure all lights are turned out, both inside and outside the home before you go to bed to minimise the risks of fires or other electrical accidents.
Keep Our Details At Hand
It’s always a good idea to have the details of a licensed emergency electrician, especially at this time of year.
If you find yourself in need of an electrical upgrade or have issues with overloaded circuits give Unified Electrical a call on 0414 751 299.
