HELCO Issues Tips For Holiday Lighting

In the interest of safety and energy efficiency, Hawaii Electric Light Co. has issued some tips for holiday lighting.

They include:

• Buy only holiday lights certified as safe by an independent testing lab, such as UL or ETL.
• Choose light strands that use LED bulbs or mini lights to reduce electricity use.
• Check light strands for frayed wires, damaged sockets, cracked insulation or loose connections, and replace defective strands.
• Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for the number of light strings that can be safely connected together.
• Do not overload extension cords.
• Do not use staples or nails to hang light strands and do not string them on metal rain gutters, metal railings or chain link fences.
• For outdoor lighting use only those that are rated for outdoor use.
• Waterproof exposed outdoor electrical connections with electrical tape and keep the connections off the ground.
• When hanging lights outdoors, keep yourself and your ladder at least ten feet away from power lines.
• Plug outdoor electric displays and light strings into an outlet having a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).
• Turn off or unplug light strands before leaving home or going to bed.
• After the holidays, store lights properly so they do not crimp and tangle. This also makes it makes it easier for use the following year.

More information on electrical safety is available at www.helcohi.com.