Tag: holiday

Electrical Safety: Indoor Holiday Decorations

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electrical safety during the holidays

While indoor holiday decorations are fun and festive, they can also pose a danger to your home if they are not handled properly. One little mishap with a worn-out wire or an outlet and you might be dealing with electrical fires or shocks. Luckily, the pros at Roman Electric are here to help you out. Here is a quick guide to electrical safety during the holidays so you can have a safe and restful break!

1. Indoor Lights Should Not Be Near Curtains

Indoor lights are creative and fun and add to the holiday ambiance you want in your home. However, it is important to keep these lights away from drapes, curtains and any kind of flammable items—especially if these lights have incandescent bulbs. Incandescent bulbs can heat up easily, increasing the chance of something in your home catching fire. If you’re tired of this risk with incandescent bulbs, try making the switch to LED bulbs! LED’s last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs and use 75% less energy! They also don’t radiate heat and if you purchase LEDs with epoxy lenses, they aren’t prone to shattering either.

2. Discard Frayed Cords

Keep any eye out for any lights or decorations with frayed or worn-out cords. While it might not seem like a big deal, frayed cords can lead to the live wire being exposed. This poses a serious danger to users as it increases risk of electrocution and electrical fires. It’s not worth it to use frayed cords—if you find several parts of the indoor light cords are frayed and exposed, it is best to discard them. In addition to looking out for frayed cords, making sure none of the bulbs are cracked or broken.

3. Choose Battery Operated Candles

Unless you’re using the Christmas or holiday themed scented candles, it is best to use battery operated candles for decoration purposes. Actual candles look nice, but they are risky, especially if they are placed near flammable items. Battery operated candles are safe, affordable and achieve the same effect!

4. Check for Underwriters Laboratory Sign

Before you purchase indoor lights and decorations, make sure to check for the “UL” sign on the packaging—this sign indicates that the lights have been approved by the Underwriters Laboratory and are safe to use whether it is indoors or outdoors. The Red UL sign indicates that the lights are safe to be used indoors and outdoors and the green UL sign marks that the lights are only safe for outdoor use.

5. Use Clips Instead of Nails

Instead of hammering the cords in with nails or thumb tacks, use clips or adhesive hooks. This way you can ensure your lights are hung properly and are in place without damaging the cords.

Practice Electrical Safety During the Holidays with Roman Electric!

We hope this guide to electrical safety during the holidays is helpful! If you want more electrical safety tips, get in touch with the pros at Roman Electric! Call us today at 414-369-3798 or schedule a service with us on our website!

Electrical Safety for Christmas Decorations

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Ideally, you already have most of your holiday decorations unboxed and set up. Given that there are not too many days left until Christmas, if your decorations aren’t up yet then you don’t have a ton of time left to do so.

But we realize that not everyone has the time to yank the tree down the stairs and hang every single ornament as soon as the calendar flips to December. Some of us have busy schedules and just decorate when we can. If you’re in a rush, though, you might not be as aware of the safety tips you need to avoid doing something dangerous. Here are a couple last-minute Christmas decoration safety tips from Roman Electric!

Indoor/Tree Safety

The Christmas tree is integral to the spirit of the season. However, it and the rest of your indoor decorations can pose a hazard if you’re not careful.

  • Test your lights by plugging the strand in before you place them on the tree. You’d hate to string them all up, only to find out that the wire is frayed, or bulbs have gone out.
  • Similarly, check for any other kinds of damage before you string lights up or install decorations. Odds are, they’ve been sitting in a box for the better part of a year so there’s no telling what happened to them.
  • Be sure to turn off or unplug lights when you don’t plan on using them for a while or when you leave a room.
  • If you’re purchasing a new tree, look for a “fire-resistant” label so you don’t risk catching the tree on fire.

Outdoor Safety

But what would Christmas decorations be without the lights on the outside of your home? Setting these up is undoubtedly more time-consuming, but you can stay safe while doing it by following these simple tips.

  • Check to make sure your extension cords are rated for outdoor use. Some are designed to only be used indoors, and they won’t function as well if they’re plugged into exterior sockets.
  • When you’re hanging lights on the house, avoid using metal things like nails or staples that could split the coating. When electricity travels through them they can come into contact with the metal, sparking a fire. Use plastic light clips instead.
  • Lastly, double-check that all of your outdoor outlets are GFCI-rated. These outlets are designed to protect vulnerable outlets from short-circuiting. That makes it all the more important to ensure they’re powering your lights.

Roman Electric: Your Christmas Electrical Safety Experts

Our number one goal is to keep you and your family safe during this festive season. Roman Electric’s team of expert electricians have the tools and tips to make sure your holiday setup is safe and sound.

Give us a call at 414-369-3798 for the most reliable and trustworthy service in the Milwaukee area!

2018 Earth Day Events in Milwaukee

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Earth Day is right around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than participating in environmentally-friendly activities?  We recommend every Milwaukee resident get involved with the community and help clean up and protect our ecosystem. After all, Wisconsin is where Earth Day originated.

Your friendly technicians at Roman Electric have found local Earth Day events in and around Milwaukee. Join us as we better the environment!

Earth Day Birthday: An Eco Pop-Up Celebration

Thursday, April 19th, 2018

Ticket Price: $75

This new event takes place at The Box Milwaukee. For the first time ever, join your community and partake in local delicacies and drive support for a cleaner Wisconsin. Tickets include fresh crafted drinks and cocktails made from local distilleries. You’ll be able to spend time with local chefs and culinary experts as we spend time enjoying food and protecting the environment.

Earth Day 5K Walk, Stroll, Run

Saturday, May 5th, 2018

Ticket Price: $20

Introducing the 4th annual Earth Day 5K! Hosted at Alpine Lanes and Avalanche Grill in Muskego, you’ll be participating in a 5K for protecting mother nature. Proceeds from this event will be donated to The Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin. This event shows that any actions, big or small, have an impact on the environment. By participating in this run, you’ll be helping to conserve over 200,000 acres of land that is protected by The Nature Conservancy. Additionally, you’ll be able to experience the beautiful sights and fresh air of Wisconsin’s mother nature throughout the county trail. Also, at the end there’s pizza and drinks available to purchase!

23rd Annual Milwaukee Riverkeeper Spring Cleanup

Saturday, April 21st, 2018

Ticket Price: FREE

With an average 4,000 volunteers every year, you can help make a major impact during the Milwaukee Riverkeeper Spring Cleanup! Join the local community as we pick up over 100,000 pounds of trash along the Milwaukee River Basin. Help us clean up the environment and bring back a natural habitat for land and aquatic creatures. Milwaukee Riverkeeper provides all the tools and materials you’ll need to clean the environment. There are several different locations where you can register, but be aware that some are adults-only. You’ll even get a FREE t-shirt for participating!

Earth Day Cleanup

April 21st, 2018

Ticket Price: Disclosed at Sign-in

Created by the Friends of Hank Aaron State Trail with collaboration from Milwaukee Riverkeeper, Earth Day Cleanup makes another positive impact on the environment! Grab your friends as we traverse the Hank Aaron State Trail, picking up any trash we find along the way. Not only will this improve Wisconsin’s ecosystem, you’ll be able to gaze at the natural sights along the way!

7th Annual Earth Day Celebration

April 21st, 2018

Ticket Price: Free

Created by Rock the Green and in collaboration with 23rd Annual Milwaukee Riverkeeper Spring Cleanup, volunteers are welcome to join the 7th annual Earth Day Celebration. This celebration features a live concert by Evan Christian, but the stage isn’t powered by traditional energy. Instead, the concert will be pedal-powered by the cyclists from The Velo Femmes, Black Girls Do Bike, and Cadence Cycling Milwaukee. Try organically-grown food from local vendors, which is served on biodegradable plates. This event will also teach you about the effects of landfills, education of the ecosystem, and the impact you can make on the environment.

This Earth Day, celebrate by participating in these local events! The experts at Roman Electric recommend every Milwaukee homeowner helps to make a positive impact on the environment, and you can start by checking your HVAC system. Having a professional check your HVAC system for any leaks or excessive energy usage can help conserve fossil fuels and furthers helping to protect the environment. Call Roman Electric at 414-369-3798 for our HVAC services.