Hanging up strings of lights around the perimeter of your house and decking out your home with festive decorations are both important parts of celebrating the holiday season. As you deck the halls with boughs of holly and trim the tree with Christmas lights and ornaments, the electricians at Craftsman Electric in Cincinnati, OH, recommend exercising caution with how many plugs you insert into your electrical outlets.

Since 1984, they’ve been keeping local businesses and families safe and sound through the holiday season straight up through the New Year, and they’ve learned a few tricks to avoiding electrical fires. To avoid overloading your electrical system, be sure to follow these tips from your friendly local electricians at Craftsman Electric:

  • Use A Surge Protector: While you shouldn’t plug more than two or three cables into your electrical outlets, most electricians urge you to still use a power strip. A surge protector will protect your cables and decorations if there’s a problem on your electrical grid.
  • Limit For Each Outlet: It may be tempting to load up each outlet with as many different cables as you can plug in, but remember – this is a sure-fire way to cause a spark that could lead to an electrical fire. Instruct your family members to never plug in more than two or three decorations at a time.
  • Unplug Your Lights While You’re Away: Anytime you leave the house, unplug your lights and extension cables, as well as any other Christmas decorations that require a power source. Do the same thing at night if you want to avoid an unexpected fire.

If something does happen to your power this holiday season, and you can’t figure out the problem, call a licensed electrician that has the equipment and the skills to assess the issue and provide a reliable solution. You can reach Craftsman Electric at (513) 891-4426 or through their Facebook.