Thanksgiving Electrical Safety Tips for Your Home

As we approach the holiday season in the Spring Hill, Brooksville and surrounding Hernando County communities, it’s a wonderful time to gather, give thanks and enjoy good food with friends and family. But with more cooking, more guests, and more decorations, electrical safety often gets overlooked. At Faulkner Electric, we’ve been serving homes and businesses across West Central Florida for over 50 years—with the promise of honest, reliable service and 100 % satisfaction.

Here are our top Thanksgiving-specific electrical safety tips to help your home stay safe, stress-free and bright.

1. Inspect your kitchen circuits before the big day

The kitchen becomes the hub of activity at Thanksgiving—turkey in the oven, side dishes on the stove, mixers and appliances working hard, maybe holiday lights or extra seating lighting too. This increased load can strain older circuits.

What to check:

• Make sure your major appliances (oven, microwave, dishwasher, etc.) aren’t all on the same overloaded breaker.
• If your home has an older panel, or you’ve had recurring tripped breakers or flickering lights, it may be time for a panel/service upgrade. See the benefits here.
• Keep extension cords and power strips to a minimum in the cooking area—they’re fine for temporary use, but not if the same circuit is powering multiple heavy appliances.

Tip for homeowners: If your breaker keeps tripping when you turn on the oven and the garbage disposal simultaneously, call us to assess the load. Don’t wait for a meltdown.

2. Oven, stove and cooking appliance safety

The star of many Thanksgiving dinners is the turkey (or other centerpiece). While you’re focused on golden skin and juicy meat, don’t forget the wiring and outlet powering that oven.

Key pointers:

• Ensure the oven plug is fully seated in a dedicated outlet rated for that appliance—no loose connections.
• Avoid using “makeshift” wiring or sharing that outlet with portable heaters, air fryers or other high-draw devices.
• If you use a deep-fryer or outdoor turkey fryer, ensure you’re using proper outdoor-rated extension cords, grounded outlets and keeping the area free of combustible materials.

3. Guest seating, outdoor lighting & décor

Holiday décor often means extra lights, outdoor string lighting, and maybe inflatables—especially suitable for the Floridian evenings.

Safety checklist:

• Use outdoor-rated extension cords and outdoor-rated lighting if placing lights outside or near patios/lanai.
• Avoid running cords under rugs, across door thresholds, or stapled (which can damage insulation).
• Don’t overload a single outlet with multiple plug-in decorations or lighting sets.
• If you’re stringing lights along a dock or boat lift area (we service these areas too!), make sure wiring is properly grounded and protected from moisture.

4. Preventing circuit overloads & tripped breakers

With more guests, more devices charging (phones, tablets, cooking timers), and more lighting, the overall electrical demand rises.

What to do:

• Spread out the load: don’t plug all chargers, lamps, and cooking devices into the same multi-plug power strip.
• If you find a breaker that goes out repeatedly, that indicates you’re at the limit of that circuit. Instead of resetting it repeatedly, call a professional to inspect and possibly add a dedicated circuit.
• Ensure GFCI outlets (especially near kitchen, outdoor, garage or wet-area locations) are functioning.
• Keep an eye on outlets/fixtures for discoloration, warmth or buzzes—these are warning signs of trouble.

5. Avoid these common mistakes

To keep your home safe this holiday season, steer clear of these pitfalls:

• Using indoor extension cords outdoors or near damp areas.
• Plugging a high-draw appliance into a shared outlet with lights and chargers.
• Ignoring flickering lights or repeat breaker trips.
• Leaving cords stretched across walkways (trip hazard & potential damage).
• DIY rewiring or modifications unless you’re a licensed electrician—especially in older homes in our area where wiring may be decades old.

6. Book a pre-holiday electrical check-up

If you live in Spring Hill, Brooksville or surrounding areas and want to ensure your home is ready for Thanksgiving and the holiday season ahead, we’re here to help! At Faulkner Electric, we offer upfront estimates, fast turnaround, and our trucks are fully stocked with job-ready parts—so you’re never left waiting.

Whether it’s a panel upgrade, adding circuits for your heavy-use appliances, or simply inspecting your wiring and outlets for peace of mind—give us a call at 727-301-7996 or message us through our website. Let our family take care of your family’s safety this Thanksgiving.