Chrismas Lights And Moisture

I have my lights connected to a GFCI and other than that I don't take any special precautions and haven't for at least the past ten years, without any problems.

Having said that my father in law covers every single connection with something, a bag, an upside down bowl, or bucket, or some other method.

His lights in the front are on a GFCI and his lights in the back are not.

What *should* be done for proper Christmas light safety and why.

Thanks!

Strictly speaking, every plug should be under a rain proof cover, or inside a weatherproof box. From a practical standpoint, NONE of the bulb sockets are rainproof. I don't know how they even get away with selling this stuff!

Now, folks have been decorating since long before GFCI was around, and I suppose there was an occasional accident, but for the most part...don't touch=don't fry! Running everything off GFCI protection should make you feel relatively safe.

lights

The basic answer is if the circuits get wet a GFCI should trip. In a nonGFCI system it will depend on whether the circuit shorts out or not from the moisture.

jimbo said:

I don't know how they even get away with selling this stuff!

Click to expand...

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q="captive+regulatory+agency"&aq=f&oq=

That's how come I have time to write on this forum; I tried to blow the whistle on one.

I have 8 outside outlets that are all GFCI protected
I don't wrap anything, but I do try to make sure the connections points are up off the ground some. In some cases I have connections inside the plastic lawn decorations

The church in this pic has all the connections for the nearby display