When I was a kid, my dad used to drive our family around the snowy neighborhood to see all the ways people decorated their homes with Christmas lights.  We were bug-eyed and enthralled with the home of a dentist whose yard was lit up with dozens of scenes, animated and still. Since those days, many folks have turned Christmas lighting into its own art form and synching lights with music .

If you’ve moved into a new home, star showering the front of the house, or covering every inch of your roof, bushes and trees may sound appealing.   But, before you start stringing miles of glittering lights together inside and out, you may wonder if your circuits can handle the load. If you have an considerably older home (75years or older) your circuit box capacity could be as low as 60 amps. If your home was built over 20 years ago or employed natural gas, it might be wired for 100 amps. And if it’s more recent, take heart!  For the last 20 years, most newer homes rely almost completely on electric and 200 amps has become the new standard.

We use more energy  in the fall and winter because it’s dark when we leave and come home. We may use  our stoves, slow cookers and hot beverage makers more than usual. For those in colder climates like Ohio, we use more electric heating our homes.

Any electrical circuit with too many electrical devices turned on can exceed the limit. When it’s maxed out, the breakers automatically trip, shutting off the circuit in the main panel. But not always. Even if your outlet can handle it, cheaply made strings may overheat and fail. We recommend buying and using only UL listed products.  Many counterfeit products are simply unsafe fire hazards according to Consumer Product Safety Commission.

If you’re tripping breakers even before adding holiday lights, you might try moving some of your smaller appliances to other convenient outlets. Outside, try using fewer strings per outlet to resolve the issue. Or use compact fluorescent bulbs or LED lights which use considerably less energy than incandescent bulbs.

Some people might be tempted to replace a 15 amp fuse with a 20 amp—don’t do it! Wires inside the walls can heat up and melt or worse, catch fire and burn the house to the ground. If your breaker still trips, we recommend talking with a qualified electrician about your options. You might need one or more dedicated  lines added to your panel or a bigger breaker box.

Keep these simple calculations in mind: amps x volts = watts

The amp rating of the circuit is located in tiny numbers on the circuit breaker switch or fuse. In most new homes, it’s very hard to overload with Christmas lights, and even less so with LED lights. Light strings should list recommendations on the box for how many can be linked together.  (For Safe wattage guidelines multiply the total wattage by 0.8 to find the safe wattage: 1800 x 0.8 = 1440 watts.)

It’s wise to keep outlets in use clear of papers fabrics and anything else that could  catch fire and check daily on those plugged in items that run longer than a few hours at a time. Keep in mind that overloading a circuit should cause the breaker to trip. However, they don’t always. And if you smell smoke, or suspect arcing, turn off the main power switch and call 911. If you see fire, exit the house immediately!

In the meantime, what are your holiday lighting plans? Do you decorate a little or a lot? If you have further questions, please comment on our Facebook page or visit us at OhioCapitalMortgage.com.