If the department stores are to be believed, the holiday season started about a month ago—which means if your house isn’t already fully decorated, you’re way behind! This year, make sure your holiday lights are safe by following these tips:

Before you buy or install new lights, make sure you know both how many watts the decorations require and how many watts are available in your home (if you’re not sure, ask an electrician at Kolb Electric!). Remember—the lower the wattage, the less electricity your lights will consume and the less they will cost to operate.

Since holiday lights draw so much power, you probably don’t want to plug them into a circuit that you’re using for other appliances—the circuit is likely to blow. Instead, call a DC electrician to install a dedicated circuit for your decorations.

In addition to installing a dedicated circuit for your holiday lighting, you may also want to install a timer for your lights. A timer will shut off your lights automatically, adding security and making sure everything is off in the middle of the night.

Extension cords are susceptible to water damage, so if you plan to use any outside, make sure they are covered so they can’t get wet. Never connect more than three strings of lights either—if you need more length, use a different plug.

Above all, make sure you take ordinary precautions with your holiday lights. This includes:

At Kolb Electric, we want to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season. And if you need electrical service in Washington, DC, Maryland, or Virginia, call Kolb Electric today!

Fun Fact:  A traditional New Year’s Eve religious service, “Watch Night” is observed to give thanks for life’s blessings and pray for divine favor in the coming year.  “Watch Night” was especially significant among African Americans in 1862, as President Lincoln vowed to end slavery with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.

Wherever you happen to be, New Year’s marks a time for change, a time for making resolutions and a revival of hope.  Make a life changing resolution; Visit a Capitol Lighting showroom and work to improve your future illumination.  Rejoice in unbeatable promotional pricing on the year’s finest home lighting and accessories, including shining innovations from Forecast, Hanover Lantern and Thomas Lighting.

Whenever you have a short circuit, it means that there was an accidental path created in your existing circuit, which generated a connection that was not there before the short occurred. Electricity will always follow the path of least resistance, which means that it will almost always follow this new path, rather than its intended path. This typically results in an abnormally high level of electrical current. The most common type of short is when two bare wires cross, such as when old insulation deteriorates, causing a loose connection which allows two wires to touch.

An electrical short is not something to take lightly. This increased current generates a great amount of heat, which can lead to sparks and fire. One way to identify an electrical short is by hearing a popping sound whenever that particular circuit is turned on. This is the sound of the electricity taking the path along the new connection that it has found, causing the circuit to experience a sudden overload. Smoke, flames and melting fixtures can follow, leading to larger fires and risk of shock in the immediate vicinity.

Another common source of electrical shorts is improper wiring. This can occur if the metal lining of a particular switch or outlet touches one of the wires. An electrician in Burbank must always find and fix shorts caused by damage, such as storm damage.

The most important thing to do whenever you have a short is to address it immediately. Because of the potential severity of this situation, call an electrician right away to have them inspect and fix the problem for you. A short left unrepaired can lead to more extensive damage, resulting in a much higher cost than if you had fixed the problem whenever it was first detected. For more information on electrical troubleshooting and our services, visit our main page (Click Here).