Check your holiday lights

Here's a little-known fact about outdoor holiday lights: You should discard them after three seasons, even if yours seem as good now as the day you bought them 20 years ago. That way, you'll avoid frayed or cracked wires and other safety risks that sometimes occur with older light strings.

But don't stop there:

• No matter how new your bulbs, check your lights carefully and throw them out if wires are damaged or if they have loose connections or broken sockets.
• Replace all broken or missing bulbs.
• Don't string more than three standard-sized sets of lights together; it puts too much of an electrical load on the wires.
• To unplug lights, use the gripping area of the plug; don't pull the cord. That can damage the wire and insulation and possibly shock you.
• Keep small bulbs and fuses away from children, who might choke on them.
• When buying new bulbs, look for the holographic Underwriters Laboratory (UL) label on light strings and electrical decorations. (The UL tag should be affixed to the cord, not just marked on packaging.) UL certifies indoor and outdoor lights. Indoor lights have green holographic UL marks; indoor/outdoor lights have red holographic UL marks. Lighting without the mark might be counterfeit and a fire hazard.
• Don't hang lights with staples or nails. Buy hooks or clips designed for hanging light strings.
• Turn off lights and other electric holiday displays before going out or to bed.
• Store lights in a dry place, such as a suitcase, where they won't get damp or waterlogged.