Top Electrical Safety Tips for Winter – Protect Your Home & Family!

Electrical Safety Tips: Keep Your Home Safe & Cozy This Winter

The holidays are a special time – twinkling lights, cozy space heaters, and festive decorations. But with all the extra electrical usage this time of year, your home’s electrical system is working overtime. And let’s be real—most people don’t think twice before plugging in yet another strand of lights or cranking up the space heater.

That’s why we’re here. Gubrud Services is here to give you some ultra-useful electrical safety tips to help keep your Sacramento home safe and warm this winter.

Here are the top three electrical hazards we see in homes across Sacramento and how you can prevent them.

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1. Christmas Lights & Decorations: Don’t Overload Your System

Holiday decorations are beautiful, but they can also be a recipe for electrical overload—especially if your home’s system is a little outdated. And with so many homes in Sacramento’s older neighborhoods still running on older wiring, this is something to be extra cautious about.

Avoid Overloading Your Circuits

Your home’s electrical system wasn’t built to handle unlimited strings of lights and inflatable Santas. Overloading can cause your system to trip or even overheat. To avoid this:

• Use high-quality, grounded extension cords rated for outdoor use.
• Plug decorations into GFCI-protected outlets (these are the ones with the “test”’ and “reset” buttons).
• Test your GFCIs before using them. Press the “test” button—if it doesn’t trip, call an electrician before plugging anything in.

Protect Connections from Water & Moisture

Winter weather and electricity don’t mix. If you’re running extension cords outside:

• Keep plugs and connections dry by placing them in covered areas or wrapping them in plastic bags secured with rubber bands.
• Make sure your outlets and extension cords are rated for outdoor use.

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2. Space Heaters: Avoid Overloading Circuits & Fire Risks

Space heaters are a lifesaver in chilly rooms, but they’re also one of the biggest culprits for tripped circuit breakers and fire hazards—especially in older homes in Sacramento, Rocklin, and Citrus Heights that may not have been updated to handle modern electrical loads.

Keep Your Circuits from Overloading

If your breaker keeps tripping when you turn on a space heater, your system might not be able to handle the extra load. Instead of resetting the breaker every time:

• Call a trusted Sacramento electrician to ensure your system is up to the task.
• Avoid plugging multiple high-wattage devices into the same circuit.

Never Use an Extension Cord

Space heaters draw a lot of power, and plugging them into an extension cord or power strip can be a serious fire hazard. Always plug them directly into a wall outlet.

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3. Power Surges After an Outage: Protect Your Home

Winter storms can knock out power, and when the electricity comes back on, it can cause a power surge. These sudden bursts of electricity can fry your appliances, electronics, and even your home’s wiring.

Install Whole-Home Surge Protection

Those little surge protector power strips aren’t enough to protect your home. A whole-home surge protector installed at your electrical panel will:

• Protect all the electronics and appliances in your home.
• Help prevent expensive damage from sudden power surges.

If your home is in Folsom, Roseville, or Elk Grove, and you’ve experienced multiple power surges this winter, it may be time to install whole-home surge protection to safeguard your home’s electrical system.

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Need an Electrician in Sacramento? Book a Service with Gubrud Today

Winter should be about relaxing, not stressing over tripped breakers, faulty GFCIs, or power surges. At Gubrud Services, we specialize in electrical safety, troubleshooting, and whole-home surge protection for homeowners throughout Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom, Elk Grove, Rocklin, and beyond.

Whether you need a simple outlet fix or a full-home inspection, we’ve got you covered. Our team is locally based, trusted, and ready to help.

Give us a call or book an appointment today! Let’s make sure your home stays safe, warm, and powered up for the holidays.