Electrical Safety Tips for Halloween

How to Keep You and Your Family Safe

With Halloween just around the corner, we want to make sure you and your family stay safe when it comes to electricity. Much of the fun that comes with Halloween involves spooky lights and scary decorations, all running on electricity.

Every year, there are thousands of Halloween accidents that involve electricity. From swallowing button batteries to electrical fires, electrical accidents are extremely dangerous.

Whether you’re hosting a Halloween party or you and your family are out trick-or-treating, there are a few tips you should know to keep everyone safe.

Ways to Stay Safe This Halloween

 Check all decorations that have electrical components. Any decoration that uses electricity, whether it’s battery-powered or plugged into your outlet, thoroughly check and test all of your decorations before using them.

• Use three-pronged cables. The third prong is essential to ground the electrical current, and it’s especially important to use three-prong cables when connecting decorations that use more power. Electrical currents need to be stable for maximum safety this Halloween.
• Keep liquids away from electricity. This may seem like common sense, but in all the fun that Halloween brings, many people forget about basic electrical safety. Always keep liquids away from electrical outlets and decorations that are powered by electricity to avoid electrical fires.
• Check cords for wear and tear. One of the primary causes of electrical fires is worn out cords. When cords are damaged and worn, wires become exposed and can harm your home and your family. Before you plug in any of your old Halloween decorations, inspect all cords for any signs of damage.
• Inspect all Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs). A GFCI is the most important safety feature in an electrical system. This safety device keeps your circuits from overloading, which can protect your home and your family. When a GFCI is faulty, the current leaving the power supply and the current going to the power supply can become imbalanced. The GFCI is meant to de-energize the system when the entering and exiting currents are not equal, which helps prevent electrical accidents.
• Unplug light and decorations when you’re gone. Decorations and lights need to be unplugged when you leave. Keeping your lights plugged in can cause fires. Lights that are resting up against dry materials and fabrics can become hot after being on for long periods of time and may cause those materials to catch fire.
• Don’t leave lights and cords exposed outdoors. Leaving your lights and cords exposed outdoors can cause wear and tear, which can lead to dangerous electrical fires. There are over 51,000 electrical fires every year in the United States.

Choosing the Right Electrician

As a homeowner or a small business owner, you should always consult with experienced electrical professionals like the team at LiveWire Electrical. When you choose LiveWire Electrical, you’re choosing both exceptional service and an exceptional experience.

We are fully licensed and insured, meaning you’re fully protected when we service your electrical needs. We’ve helped countless home and business owners in the Charlotte area. Keep these electrical safety tips in mind this Halloween and be sure to contact the team at LiveWire Electrical for all of your electrical questions and concerns.