Decorating inside and outside is a great way to make your home more cheerful and get everyone in the holiday spirit. The only issue is that holiday decorations can be a serious fire hazard, especially if you have extension cords running all over the place to plug them in. The good news is that it’s easy to decorate safely as long as you follow these tips when using extension cords.
Fully Inspect Extension Cords Before Using Them
One thing you should always do when setting up your holiday decorations is to inspect all your extension cords as well as the cords on the decorations themselves. The main thing you want to look for is any places where the sheathing around the cord is cracked and you can see the wires underneath it. You also want to make sure there isn’t a gap between the sheathing and the plugs. If you notice either issue, you shouldn’t use that cord or decoration due to the risk of it starting a fire.
The main issue if an electrical cord is damaged is that the hot wire can potentially end up touching either the ground wire or the neutral wire. When this happens, it allows the electricity to flow unimpeded and results in the current massively spiking. This spike can then lead to the wires almost instantly getting so hot that they burst into flame. If the wires touch, they can also produce sparks that can potentially cause the decoration or any nearby items to catch on fire.
Know the Difference Between Indoor and Outdoor Extension Cords
When plugging in all of your outdoor decorations, you also want to check that the extension cord you’re using is rated for outdoor use. Next to one of the plugs, there should be an information tag on the cord that will say either “Indoor-Use Only” or “Indoor/Outdoor Use.” On some extension cords, all of the relevant information is instead printed directly on the cord. In this case, you may just see the letter “W,” which tells you the cord is weather resistant and safe to use outside. You can also tell the difference between indoor and outdoor extension cords since outdoor cords are grounded and have a three-prong plug while most indoor cords only have a two-prong plug.
Check How Much Power the Extension Cord Can Handle
The other thing to know about outdoor extension cords is that they come in different sizes or gauges, and the gauge of the cord tells you how much power you can safely draw through it. With light-duty and medium-duty extension cords, the amount of power the cord can handle also varies based on its length. The following list shows you the different gauges of outdoor extension cords and how much power each one can safely handle:
- 100-foot 16-gauge, light-duty cord: Up to 1,200 watts
- 50-foot light-duty cord: Up to 1,560 watts
- 100-foot 14-gauge, medium-duty cord: Up to 1,560 watts
- 50-foot medium-duty cord: Up to 1,800 watts
- 12-gauge heavy-duty cord: Up to 1,800 watts
- 10-gauge extra heavy-duty cord: Up to 2,400 watts
One thing to note if you have any 10-gauge cords is that you can’t always use them with every outlet. That’s because many of your outlets are only on a 15-amp circuit that can supply a maximum of 1,800 watts. While you can use any cord on this type of circuit, you’d overload the circuit and trip the breaker if you were to exceed 1,800 watts. Luckily, there’s very little chance you’d ever need a single cord to supply nearly this amount of power. If your current system can’t handle the power needs, an electrical panel upgrade and is always an option.
Never Daisy-Chain Extension Cords Together
One thing you should never do is daisy-chain or connect two extension cords together. The reason is that this can often end up overloading the cords, creating the potential for them to overheat and catch fire. You should always invest in a longer cord if you don’t have one that will reach where you need it to.
Only Use GFCI Cords or Outlets Outside
This last thing is something you really only need to worry about if your home was built before 1971, since this is when the National Electric Code was updated to require GFCI outlets on all outdoor power receptacles. The purpose of a GFCI outlet or cord is to prevent you from possibly getting shocked or electrocuted if moisture comes into contact with any electrical wiring or a live wire touches anything metal. If your outdoor receptacles aren’t GFCI outlets, you should either upgrade them or make sure you only use GFCI extension cords.
If you’re worried about any potential electrical issues cropping up over the holiday season, Plugz Electric offers expert electrical services including inspection, maintenance, repair, and installation. Our team has years of experience serving residential and commercial customers in Forest Lake and the Twin Cities area. Whether you need to upgrade your outdoor outlets, want to add another circuit, or require any other assistance with your electrical system, give us a call. We’ll put our expertise to work ensuring all of your needs are safely and correctly met for the holidays.
