fIt’s the easiest decoration there is: a string of lights wrapped around the porch railing, just because it looks nice. Then the first rainy night arrives, and half the outside goes dark. Electricians know the scenario by heart, and it usually comes down to one small device.
In short
- Outdoor lights wrapped around a railing are exposed to rain, snow and standing water.
- A little moisture in a plug or a connection is enough to trip the GFCI, the outlet’s safety cut-off.
- Electrical safety experts insist: outdoor-rated lights and cords, plugged into GFCI-protected outlets.
- Drying everything out can help, but the problem often comes back.
Why the rain cuts the power
Outdoor outlets are normally protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter, or GFCI. Its job is to cut the power the moment electricity leaks where it shouldn’t, for example through water. “A common problem seen during wet weather events is the tripping of a home’s ground-fault circuit interrupter,” FOX Weather noted, citing a holiday lighting company: even slight dampness can shut off an entire display.
On a railing, the risk is higher: the connections between strings often hang low, close to wet wood, puddles or snow. And because the lights work fine on dry days, many people only discover the problem on the first wet evening, when the whole porch display goes dark at once.
The same problem every year
Electrician Dave Rongey, of Ask-The-Electrician, points out that drying the lights and plug strips may help, but the problem will likely return. His advice: install the power source components “in covered areas where they will not be exposed to direct weather,” and use plug strips rated for wet locations.
The rules electrical safety experts repeat
The Electrical Safety Foundation International lists a few simple rules:
- Plug outdoor decorations into GFCI-protected circuits. If your outlet doesn’t have one, portable GFCIs exist.
- Use only cords and lights marked for outdoor use.
- Keep cords and light strings clear of snow and standing water.
- Fasten lights securely, without anything that could cut or crush the cord’s insulation.
- Inspect everything for damage before hanging it.
- Turn decorations off before leaving home or going to sleep.
Don’t “fix” it by bypassing the GFCI
A GFCI that trips is doing its job. When it happens, unplug the decorations, let everything dry, then press the reset button on the outlet. If it trips again right away, the moisture or the damage is still there. Plugging the lights into an unprotected outlet to stop the cut-offs removes the protection against shocks. The right fix is to find and protect the wet connection. Storms deserve the same caution indoors, as we explained with the appliance you should unplug during a storm.
The limit
A tripping GFCI isn’t always caused by the lights: an old outlet, a damaged cord or another device on the same circuit can be the culprit. If it keeps happening once everything is dry and covered, call an electrician. And before bed, firefighters have their own rule: the one kitchen appliance to unplug.
That’s the trick.
