Christmas will be here in no time, and in addition to starting your Christmas shopping, you’ll no doubt get lights down from the attic for your Christmas tree and to decorate the outside of your home.

Before you plug your light strands into an electrical outlet, carefully inspect each cord, looking for any loose connections, cracked cords from being dried out, and and burnt marks. It may be time to retire old light strands and get new ones. They aren’t that expensive, and safety is most important.

LED lights run cool, but if you are using incandescent lights on your tree, be sure the tree is fresh and green, and that it has an ample water supply at it’s base. If you have an artificial tree, look for any metal or sharp plastic pieces that could pumcture an electric cord.

When hanging lights outside, do not use staples or nails to hold strands in place, as these may pierce the wire and cause a short. Make sure extension cords are secure and do not pose a tripping threat.