Holiday Lighting Safety Checklist

Holiday lighting displays, especially larger outdoor ones, can pull meaningfully more current than the circuits they're plugged into were designed for, particularly on older homes with fewer dedicated exterior outlets.

Before you plug in

• Check for GFCI protection. Outdoor outlets should be GFCI-protected; if yours aren't, that's worth addressing before running lights through winter weather.
• Count your amperage. Adding up the current draw of multiple light strands on one extension cord is a common cause of overheated cords.
• Inspect cords and strands for damage before hanging them, especially any stored outdoors or in a garage over summer.

When to bring in a lighting contractor

For larger permanent or semi-permanent displays, such as roofline lighting or landscape lighting additions, our licensed lighting contractors can add a dedicated exterior circuit so the display isn't competing with other household loads.

Further reading: Christmas lights (Wikipedia) · Ground fault circuit interrupter (Wikipedia)