Nothing is more Grinch-ey than having the power for your Christmas lights go out on Christmas Eve. What you have to consider is how you’re pushing extra electricity through your existing circuits which were designed for your daily electrical usage. The extra power you use to light Christmas decorations may not seem like much, but it may be just a bit more than your existing circuits were designed to handle. If you’re an enthusiast for holiday lighting and decorations, you may want to discuss your power needs with a professional electric contractor to assure your power needs are met.
Holiday Lighting
A simple sample of holiday lighting requires only a trip to the local dollar store for lights and cords. A proper design of lights is a bit different. Presenting appropriate seasonal artwork within a well-lit area has a proper approach, which needs a separate circuit apart from the main house power. According to the design of your home, you may need additional wiring or circuits to handle the additional stress, and you may need physical outlets to accommodate the extra plugs you need to attach for your decorations.
Stress on Circuits
The circuit breakers in your home are designed for the amount of power you use on a daily basis. The extra power used by holiday lighting and decorations can add an overload, potentially overheating or blowing your circuit breakers. When you add holiday lighting to your regular power flow, it would be wise to consider extra circuit breakers to handle the additional amperage coursing through your electric box.
New Wiring for Extra Holiday Lighting (throughout the year)
New wiring, outlets and breakers will take the stress off your existing system as you add holiday lighting seasonally and throughout the year. You may find you have more reasons to celebrate once you have designated outlets for holiday decorations. Not only can you light your home safely for the traditional winter holiday season, but you’ll have the availability to provide decorations for birthdays, school awards and otherwise celebrate personal accomplishments as they are achieved throughout the year.
What you need to consider when adding extra circuitry is how a professional electrical contractor can add it with minimal fuss and expense. Often, what takes you several weeks to do can be finished in less than a day by someone who is familiar with the process, thereby keeping the Grinch away so you can enjoy time with your family.