Tag: outlets

Tis the Season to Be Safe – What to do with your Indoor/Outdoor Lights this Holiday Season

On By johnazarrLeave a comment

Tis the season for holiday lights! And whether you are decking out your house with an amazing light display or simply stringing a few twinkle lights in the window, you should make sure that you’re using christmas and holiday lights safely so you can enjoy the holidays from home and not the E.R.

For Outdoor Lights:

Make sure that all of your outdoor lights are plugged into a GFI outlet or GFI-protected which has a waterproof cover over it (such as the Intermatic WP1110C 1 Gang Vertical/Horizontal 3-5/8-Inch Deep Weatherproof Box, Clear – affiliate link). A GFI outlet means an outlet that has a push button to reset it when it trips. Doing this minimizes the risk of the circuit tripping due to cold weather moisture like snow and rain. It also prevents the lights from becoming a potential shock hazard!

Be careful when hanging outdoor lights – if you use nails or metal staples, do not nail or staple the actual light string – this will cause the GFI to trip and you’ll never get to see your lights shining. If you are NOT using a GFI outlet and you nail or staple your lights, then you’ll probably see a big flash and have to go reset the breaker in your house. Just take it from us, use other, safer means to hang your lights (such as Command Outdoor Light Clips, Clear, 16-Clips (17017CLR-AWES) – affiliate link) – these have the added upside of not damaging your house like nails or staples. We use these in our house all the year long to hang festive twinkle lights for parties.

For Indoor Lights:

Just make sure you aren’t overloading your circuits. If you experience appliances turning off after you turn on the lights, then your circuit is overloaded. If the outlet is hot to the touch, you should call an electrician asap.

A and D Inc. is here to help you install outdoor GFI outlets and waterproof covers and to make sure that your holidays go off without overloading circuits. Our service prices are competitive and we always make sure that you get your money’s worth. Give us a call or drop us an email today! Happy Holidays!

And now, for a visual treat:

 

Water + Electrical = GFCI Outlets

On By johnazarrLeave a comment

Ever wonder what those little buttons on your outlet mean? GFCI outlets (or GFI in common parlance) are required by the National Electric Code in all new kitchens, bathrooms, crawl spaces, unfinished basements, and most outdoor receptacles. A GFCI outlet monitors for a current imbalance between the hot and neutral wires and breaks the circuit if necessary. A circuit breaker may or may not trip if you receive a shock, but it will not trip fast enough to protect you from harm. A GFCI outlet is more sensitive and acts faster than a circuit breaker or fuse and is more likely to protect you from a deadly shock and is thus an important safety feature. If you have outlets that can come into contact with water (like outdoor outlets, bathroom outlets, or kitchen outlets) make sure they have a functioning GFCI outlet. It is not worth the risk! This is just one small, but vital way A&D Inc. can help you have peace of mind. Our team of licensed, certified electricians are here to help! Contact us for a free estimate.