Whether you are indulging in a few twinkling white icicles or your planning a full on festive light extravaganza, if you are adding some festive bling to your home this Christmas make sure you do it safely. To help prevent the most common electrical problems, the Electrical Safety Council has put together a few simple precautions and checks for you to consider before you put up your festive lights this Christmas: Never

• use lights outdoors unless specifically designed for such use
• connect different sets of lights together
• remove or change bulbs while the chain is connected to the electricity supply
• overload sockets and try to avoid the use of extension leads or adaptors
• use or attempt to repair lights that are damaged or faulty – replace them

Always

• check that your Christmas lights are not damaged or broken before use and look out for loose wires
• ensure all outdoor lights are connected via a 30mA RCD protected socket indoors. An RCD will provide added protection against electric shock
• replace failed bulbs as soon as possible to prevent overheating
• use only replacement bulbs of the same type and rating as those originally supplied with the lights
• switch Christmas lights off and unplug them before you go out or go to bed

If you are concerned about the safety of your Christmas lights then it may be time to invest in a new set. Here a couple of our recommendations when looking for new Christmas Lights: What to consider when buying new lights: Look for Low Voltage The safest Christmas lights operate at ‘low voltage’ because they are powered by a Safety Extra Low Voltage transformer. This will significantly reduce the risk of electric shock, even if there is a fault or a bulb breaks. Choose LEDs The most common types of Christmas lights use either traditional filament (incandescent) light bulbs or LEDs (light emitting diodes). Christmas lights that use traditional filament bulbs can operate at either mains voltage or extra low voltage, whereas LEDs only operate at extra low voltage which is safer. Are they rain-proof? If you are using lights outdoors you need to check that they are rain-proof. If they are they should be marked with a water drop symbol or an IP Code. The higher the IP code, the greater the degree of protection. To ensure that Christmas lights are safe for outdoor use, the IP number should be 3 or more. For more information about electrical safety this Christmas download our Christmas Lights Safety Leaflet.

[url="http://www.esc.org.uk/public/news-and-campaigns/news/news/article/are-your-old-christmas-lights-still-safe/"]Continue reading...[/url]