How to Setup Holiday Lights Properly

Holiday lights are a great way to add some flair to your house or business premises during any festive season. While lighting it up might sound simple, there are so many things to consider before stringing up the lights and flipping the switch. There is the issue of finding out how you will go up and down that steep roof without taking a tumble and figure out how much power you’ll need to power your LED or incandescent holiday light strips.

Install Holiday Lights Safely

Stringing up holiday lights always involves climbing ladders and hanging on ledges. Your safety comes first. You must ensure that you hire professionals or just skip risky installation locations. Apart from this, string up your lights before the weather turns really cold and wet. It is easier to hold onto a dry ladder or a dry roof than it is to work on wet or snow covered surfaces.

If you fear that setting up the lights in advance will make you look over excited, you can always hang the outdoor extension cords, the hangers, the hooks and light strings in advance and just wait for the holiday to kick in.

Shop Early and Perform Light Testing

Planning out your holiday lights and shopping for what you need saves you the panic that comes with last minute purchases. Once you know large an area you need lit, you can:

• Find out the length or holiday light strings you will need
• Choose the type of lights you want to use
• Calculate the power ratings and ensure that you have a sufficient power source
• Buy the right number of extension cords to power your lights
• Get basic tools and accompanying installation equipment

Failure to plan and buy early will force you to improvise. While improvising might work at times, it always leads to a safety hazard by increasing the chances of an electric fire or simply an embarrassing holiday lights failure.

After you have everything purchased, try to individually test each piece of the puzzle to ensure that it is working. You don’t want to finish stringing up the lights only to find that the section your spend hours draping over the highest point in your house is faulty.

Know the Limitations or Capabilities of Your Lights

One of the most complex things you have to consider when stringing holiday lights is power ratings. Voltages determine how bright your lights will be and this tends to drop as distances from the power source grow. You have to know how long a specific light string or strip can run before it needs a new power source.

In addition to this, you should know the holiday light controller’s power capabilities. Most are rated by amperes or an estimation of how many meters of lights they can run. Never exceed this limit as you will strain the controller’s power supply hence putting your entire system at risk.

Scheduling an Electrician in MD, DC or VA

If you have any questions on what you should or shouldn’t be doing when it comes to setting up your home’s holiday lights, contact us online or call us at 301.253.3778 to reach Jaffe Electric.