Space Heaters & Holiday Lights: Winter Electrical Safety for Shreveport Homes

Northwest Louisiana winters are mild most days, then a cold snap hits and every space heater in the house comes on at once. Add holiday lights and extension cords, and your wiring is working harder than it does all year. Here's how to keep it safe.

Space heaters: the biggest winter load

A typical space heater draws about 1,500 watts — close to the full capacity of a standard 15-amp circuit. That's why heaters trip breakers so often.

• Plug heaters straight into a wall outlet, never an extension cord or power strip
• Run only one heater per circuit
• Keep three feet of clear space around the heater
• Turn heaters off when you leave the room or go to sleep

If the plug or outlet feels hot, stop using that outlet. Heat at the plug usually means a worn outlet or a loose connection behind it. Our guide to why breakers keep tripping covers what's happening on the circuit.

Holiday lights and outdoor decorations

• Use lights and cords rated for outdoor use outside
• Plug outdoor decorations into GFCI-protected outlets
• Throw out strings with cracked insulation or broken sockets
• Don't run cords under rugs or pinch them in doors and windows
• Use a timer so displays aren't running all night

If your outdoor outlets keep tripping when it rains, or you don't have GFCI protection outside at all, see our GFCI vs AFCI guide. Adding a dedicated outdoor outlet is often simpler than running cords across the yard.

Warning signs to call an electrician

• Outlets or switch plates that feel warm
• A burning or hot-plastic smell
• Lights that dim when a heater turns on
• The same breaker tripping again and again
• Scorch marks around an outlet

Turn off the circuit at the panel if you can do so safely, and call. Ed's Electric answers 24/7 with no overtime or additional fees.

If you're always short on outlets

If every winter means extension cords and tripped breakers, your home may need more circuits or more panel capacity. We can add dedicated circuits, install new outlets, or tell you plainly whether a panel upgrade makes sense.

Get it checked before the next cold snap

Ed's Electric has served Shreveport, Bossier City, Haughton, Benton, Keithville, and Greenwood for more than 40 years. Call 318-688-2788 for a free estimate.