How to Prevent Blowing a Fuse This Holiday

Blowing a fuse during the holiday season is common. With double the amount of lights plugged in, homeowners have more things than ever taking a toll on their electric. If you find yourself constantly blowing fuses with your holiday decorations, you might want to consider calling an electrical handyman to help. 

3 Ways to Prevent Tripping the Circuit Breaker This Holiday Season

Choose the Right Cords 

When setting up your holiday lights, make sure to use the right cords in the right places. Indoor extension cords are not rugged enough to weather the elements outdoors. If the protective covering wears down, your cord and the lights it’s powering could short due to water damage, which could cause a fuse to blow.

Don’t Over-Plug Your Outlets

When plugging in holiday lights, everyone knows not to overdo it on one outlet. But what exactly is overdoing it? How many strands can you plug in at once? It depends on your lights and your home’s amperage, so just make sure to cross check the wattage of your lights with the amperage of your circuit. You can find the wattage of your lights on the box. Amperage can be found printed near your main circuit breaker. If you’re still having issues with blown fuses, you may need to have an electrical handyman come out to take a look and possibly rewire parts or all of your home. 

Modernize Your Decorations

Different types of lights require different amounts of electricity, and some are more energy efficient than others. LED lights use less energy and are more durable than traditional incandescent lights. In general, you’ll want to make sure that all of your decorations are in good shape and aren’t worn down in any way – check the cords to make sure there’s no broken bulbs or frayed cables.

What else can I do?

Using light timers and limiting what you plug or have turned on at once might help you avoid blowing a breaker. If you find that you’re constantly blowing a fuse or losing power outside of the holiday season, Handyman Connection of Hamilton can help. Call (719) 259-6219 today to connect with an electrical handyman to figure out what could be the cause.