Christmas time is at the door and it is starting to be time to pick out poinsettias and advent candles. But it is far from everyone who acquires new decorations every year, and often the Christmas lights can be a few years old.
Therefore, it is good, and vitally important, to look at the decoration so that it is still safe to use. But how do you know that? News24 asked Joel Lee Antmaninspector in the product department at the Swedish Electrical Safety Authority.
Here you can read about the most common mistakes you make with your Christmas decorations.
Christmas decorations are getting safer and safer
When the Swedish Electrical Safety Authority has reviewed the statistics, it is about single fires, then between the years 2018 and 2020, which were caused by Christmas decorations in particular.
– The Swedish Electrical Safety Authority has had an ongoing Christmas decoration project, where we tested Christmas decorations for many years. You have constantly seen that the products got better and better, that more and more passed our reviews, says Joel Lee Antman.
The tests include a check of electrical safety, but also documentation and labeling of, for example, the Christmas lights, and all categories have steadily improved.
Photo: Gorm Kallestad/TT “You have to think about your electricity consumption”
The year 2022 has been marked by expensive electricity, so Lee Antman advises how consumers should think when the household is expected to be filled with Christmas lights.
– You have to think about your electricity consumption, that is what is important. If you have older products, you may want to consider simply replacing them with LED lighting. It is a very good saving, both in terms of energy and risks.
It is difficult to say how often, for example, an Advent candle holder needs to be replaced, but according to Joel Lee Antman, you can see that they have a lifespan of approximately five years.
– But then you have to look at how plastics and such look, things like that that are in the window are exposed to sunlight, UV light, which causes the plastic to age, dry out and become brittle.
This is how you know if your Christmas decoration is safe to use
Older decorations must be intact in order to be used, but Joel Lee Antman would also like to add that when buying new products, you should check that it is CE-marked and that the manufacturer’s name and address appear, so you know which manufacturer has CE-marked it .
It may also appear in the instructions where the decoration is intended to be placed.