EXPERTS have revealed the real dangers of our favourite Christmas decoration – lights.
Most Christmas lights these days are LED and much safer than the traditional filament lights.
However, this doesn’t mean it’s fine to leave them on unsupervised, according to the Electrical Safety First charity.
“Always switch your Christmas lights off when you’re not there to enjoy them and never leave them on overnight,” Stephen Curtler, a product safety manager tells The Sun.
“Modern extra-low voltage LED lights are safer than older mains voltage, traditional filament lights, however, any type of Christmas lights left on unattended for long periods may increase the risk of overheating and fire, particularly when combined with dry real trees and overloaded sockets.”
The charity has also addressed other common mistakes that can risk causing fires at this time of year.
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Stephen says old or damaged lights can be a particular problem people miss.
“Always check the condition of the cables before putting them up, and if you spot fraying, damage or exposed wires, it’s time to replace them,” he continues.
“Where possible, upgrade to extra-low voltage LED lights as they run cooler and are safer to use around children and pets.”
Overloading sockets is another massive mistake, whether you daisy-chain extension leads together just to make the lights reach or by plugging too many high-powered items into a single extension lead.
“With fairy lights, chargers, TVs and festive cooking gadgets all running at once, it’s easy to forget how much electricity your home is drawing,” Stephen says.
“Finally, many people unknowingly put themselves at risk by buying cheap lights from online marketplaces.
“With dangerous electrical products still flooding these platforms, where you shop is just as important as how you use them.
“Buying from a reputable high-street retailer is the best way to ensure your festive decorations don’t turn Christmas cheer into a Christmas catastrophe.”
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