| Holday Lighting
The Do's and Don'ts of Holiday Lighting
By:
Don Prestley
Online Rating:
  (8/10) I'm a sucker for holiday lights and lots of them!
Every year it's the same routine: Get out the lights, plug them in to see if they work and hurry out to hang them on the metal cup hooks that were on the house when we moved in four years ago. Unfortunately, those little metal hooks are about the worst way to hang lights. They rust and stain the house paint. But worse than that, they're murder on the light strings. Each time the wind blows, the strings rub against the metal hooks, weakening the wires inside. About the only way to hang lights that's worse is to staple them to the house. Every staple is a potential wire - crusher. Installing and removing lights along the fascia can cause other damage to your house, too. Lifting the ends of shingles to attach a slip - on light fastener can result in broken shingles. And pulling string after string of lights around trees and shrubs can damage the plants. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is the authority for lights and lighting safety, and John Drengenberg, manager of Consumer Affairs, is UL's lighting specialist. He says the 1998 UL guidelines for all UL - listed exterior decorative lights (manufactured after May 1998) make decorating easier and safer. However, all the rules and guidelines are useless if you don't use some common sense and follow the manufacturer's directions on the package. With that in mind, read and follow our checklist. It's the best place to start before hanging your exteriorholiday lights. Happy Holidays!
• Only use UL - listed exterior - rated lights.
• Inspect all cords, sockets and plugs before you
• Hang the light strings. If anything is damaged, throw the lights away.
• Connect the lights to a ground - fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) receptacle or use a portable GFCI receptacle.
• Never staple lights to the house! You'll crush or break the wires internally, which you can't see.
• Don't use metal fasteners such as nails and cup hooks. Use plastic hooks, clips or hangers. They're available where holiday lights are sold and usually cost $3 to $5 per package.
• Avoid attaching lights directly to metal, such as gutters. Whenever possible, attach them to wood trim or masonry.
• If you must attach lights to metal gutters, use plastic hangers.
• Do not run more than three sets of lights in series.
• Replace a blown fuse in the plug and then recheck the light string. If the replacement fuse blows, throw the lights away.
• Use exterior - rated, UL - listed extension cords.
• Never run extension cords through windows or doors. You could damage the cord when you close the window or door on it.
• Keep horizontal light strings taut. Drooping strings blow around in the wind, weakening the wires. But don't pull light strings too tight on trees and shrubs. Lay the lights loosely in either a vertical or horizontal pattern.
• Don't leave the lights up for more than 90 days. UL - listed holiday lights are approved for temporary installation only.
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