How to Prepare Your Home’s Electrical System for Holiday Lights

How to Prepare Your Home’s Electrical System for Holiday Lights

Every holiday season, homeowners ask us the same thing:

“I’m gearing up for big Christmas lights—how can I make sure my electricity is working properly so I don’t trip the breaker?”

It’s a smart question, and one we wish more people asked before plugging in thousands of lights and decorations. As electrical contractors serving San Luis Obispo County and Santa Maria, we want to share some simple steps to keep your holiday display safe, bright, and stress-free.

1. Know Your Electrical Limits

Most outdoor outlets are tied to a 15- or 20-amp household circuit. That’s fine for everyday use, but holiday displays with multiple strings of lights, inflatables, and moving decorations can quickly max it out. When that happens, your breaker trips.

To avoid this, consider:

• Dedicated holiday lighting circuits – Adding a separate circuit just for your decorations keeps them from competing with kitchen appliances or heaters.

• Electrical panel upgrades – If your panel is outdated or already full, upgrading gives you the capacity for holiday lights and future needs like EV chargers, hot tubs, or solar batteries.

At Elect Electric, we regularly install holiday lighting circuits in San Luis Obispo County and Santa Maria homes so families can decorate without worry.

2. How to Estimate Your Power Needs

Not sure if your setup will overload your circuit? Here’s a quick way to calculate:

• Check the tags on your lights or inflatables for watts (W) or amps (A).

• Add it all together – total up all the watts.

• Convert watts to amps – Divide watts by 120 (household voltage). Example: 1,200 watts ÷ 120 volts = 10 amps.

• Compare to your circuit – A 15-amp circuit can safely handle about 1,440 watts (12 amps), and a 20-amp circuit about 1,920 watts.

💡 Tip: Switching to LED holiday lights instead of old incandescent bulbs drastically reduces energy use—allowing you to run many more lights on the same circuit.

If you don’t want to do the math, our team can measure your holiday load and recommend safe solutions like adding a dedicated holiday lighting circuit.

3. Use the Right Outlets

Never run extension cords from inside your home. Outdoor decorations should always be powered by:

• Weather-resistant outlets – Built to handle rain and temperature changes.

• GFCI outlets – Required by code, Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters protect against shock if moisture is present.

If your outdoor plugs aren’t GFCI outlets, we strongly recommend scheduling an outdoor GFCI outlet installationbefore hanging your lights.

4. Protect Your Plugs with In-Use Covers

Even weather-resistant outlets need protection. In-use covers (clear, bubble-style covers) allow cords to stay plugged in while shielding them from rain and dew. This prevents nuisance tripping—and keeps your holiday display safe.

5. Permanent Holiday Lighting: Year-Round Convenience

Love going big every year? Consider permanent holiday lighting systems. These low-profile LED strips mount under your eaves and are controlled by an app. With one tap, you can switch from Christmas red-and-green to Fourth of July colors—or warm white for everyday curb appeal.

No ladders, no tangled cords, and no overloaded outlets. Elect Electric installs permanent holiday lighting in San Luis Obispo County and Santa Maria homes so you can enjoy festive lighting year-round.

6. Schedule an Electrical Checkup

Before plugging in this year’s display, it’s a good idea to have a licensed electrician:

• Inspect your panel capacity

• Add a dedicated holiday lighting circuit if needed

• Test and upgrade your outdoor outlets to GFCI protection

• Install in-use covers for safety

🎄 Get Holiday-Ready with Elect Electric

At Elect Electric, we help homeowners in San Luis Obispo County and Santa Maria stay safe and bright for the holidays. Whether you need outdoor GFCI outlet installation, dedicated holiday lighting circuits, in-use covers, electrical panel upgrades, or permanent holiday lighting systems, our team is here to help.

👉 Call us today or visit www.ElectElectric.com to schedule your electrical checkup and make sure your home is holiday-ready!