The light fixtures in your home may easily be among the most commonly-used devices that are on for the lengthiest periods of time—especially indoor lights in spaces that get lots of foot traffic. To help safeguard your residence against a house fire avoid these two common mistakes nearly everyone makes with light fixtures.

Using Bulbs With Too Much Wattage

When shopping for bulbs for your light fixtures you may not give much thought to the fact that different fixtures require different wattage bulbs to provide adequate lighting. If you use bulbs that have wattages higher than the maximum recommended wattage of your fixture, not only will you make your rooms overly warm from the heat of the bulbs, you’ll run the risk of overheating the bulbs and starting an electrical fire.

If you’re in the market for new light fixtures for your residence, be sure to pay attention to the bulb wattages required. When it comes to replacing bulbs for existing fixtures throughout your home, it may be best to confer with an electrician to find out what wattages you should purchase, since the wattage requirements will vary.

 

Putting Flammable Materials Near Bulbs or Lampshades

Be sure not to place or leave a flammable material like paper or cloth near a lit bulb or light fixture—you run a high risk of starting a fire. And although lampshades are usually situated several inches from lightbulbs, they may still get very hot when a lamp has been on for long periods of time—even more so if you’ve installed a bulb with a higher wattage than recommended.

It’s Important to Know…

If your light fixtures have difficulty staying lit, or if they flicker frequently, your home may have outlet or wiring issues. To help prevent an electrical fire you should reach out to an electrician to make sure your outlets and wiring are in good working order.

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