With the holiday season upon us, houses, trees and stores are adorned with the beautiful little flickers of Christmas lights. A recent study showed that the majority of these lights are extremely dangerous. At least 30 percent of the lights tested failed miserably and could easily cause electric shock or a fire. That is a very high percentage of lights that are put out each and every year.
So why did they fail? Aren’t all lights the same? Absolutely not, come to find out. Many failed on mandates for wiring, insulation and plugs. Most of the lights that failed were made in China. Big surprise, right? If you haven’t noticed, a large majority of items that are poorly made and harmful to our lives are made in China. No surprise to me. A large majority of the failing lights also contained weak wiring, which poses the risk of over-heating and fire.
This is a wake-up call for everyone. Please do a good check of your lights and their wires prior to putting them up. Although it’s tempting to purchase the most inexpensive lights you see on the shelf at Wal-Mart, try to do some research and get the lights that are made well. Do not allow your children to pull on the wires, they could easily pull the wires loose and cause a shock or fire. Routinely check your lights while they are on to ensure they are not over-heating. Never fall asleep or leave home with the lights on.
