by JR Wondra

Created on: January 08, 2009

Making Your Home Lighting Safe

We depend on lighting for the use and enjoyment of our homes, whether from a wall or ceiling fixture or floor and table lamps, that illuminate our work, eating and recreation spaces. Light fixtures are present in every space we occupy, and so, deserve to be given extra attention to ensure our and our family's safety.

It is neither expensive nor time consuming to make sure your home lighting is safe.

One of the keys to safe lighting is to pay attention to bulb wattage. Bulbs of too high wattage can cause fires. Every fixture is rated by the manufacturer for a maximum wattage; most are at 60 watts, but multiple-bulb fixtures may be different and three-way bulbs can exceed ratings if used at the brightest selection. It is often better to use multiple fixtures with lower wattage bulbs than a single fixture with a high-wattage bulb.

Make sure that your lamps are not using more power than a single circuit provides. This means avoiding multi-plugs that increase the number of plugs available from a single outlet and the use of extension cords. If an extension cord is used, make sure that it is of a sufficient gauge (wire size) to avoid overheating during use. The bigger the wire, the more power it can safely deliver. Check wires and plugs to make sure they are not kinked, frayed, aged or heat-damaged. They can overheat, even under normal use. (Our condominium lost an entire building, 12 units, due to an old table lamp, over-watted, with a worn, old power cord!)

Incandescent and halogen bulbs can generate lots of heat. Be certain your shades and globes are clean and dusted regularly to prevent excess heat build-up. Especially with halogens, be certain any exposed bulbs are not in contact with shades, dust, or globes/reflectors.

You should also verify that plugs and fixtures are properly grounded. This may take some time and effort, but can be accomplished over the course of a weekend at home or a couple of evenings when there's nothing to watch on television. You'll need a standard and a Phillips screw driver, and a flashlight to do this. Remove the switch plates in a given room and verify that the wires are securely attached and that the bare copper wire is fastened to the electrical box or switch, depending on how your house is wired. The same should be done for ceiling- and wall-mounted light fixtures. Removing the fixture is usually no more than loosening a couple of screws and pulling the fixture away from the electrical box to view the exposed wires. For maximum safety, you should turn off the circuit breaker for the room/fixture you will examine.

In addition to avoiding fire hazards, you should make sure your light fixtures provide adequate illumination for safe enjoyment of and movement about your home. Proper lighting, especially at night, can make your home safer and more user-friendly. Use low wattage lights and "nightlights" to illuminate areas that may be used after dark: bathrooms, hallways, the kitchen. Table lamps can illuminate work, reading, and study areas, and can be very inexpensive or decorative pieces themselves, depending on your taste and budget.

By paying attention to power supply and usage, the proximity of combustible materials, and placement /illumination, we can enjoy safe, useful and worry-free home lighting.

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