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If your lights are shorting out during rain storms or other winter events, you should probably replace them. These shorts indicate electrical issues that could cause serious hazards. Look for outdoor-rated lights with connectors made for rainy conditions to replace them. But if your Christmas lights are new and you want further protection, you can find weatherproof covers to add to the male-end connectors of your Christmas light strings. These can minimize the risk of shorts.

Testing tools, such as Christmas light testers, non-contact proximity electrical testers, and multimeters, all simplify the process of testing Christmas lights. However, without one or more of those tools, testing Christmas lights the old-fashioned way only works sometimes. Without testing tools, the simplest testing method is visual inspection, which may or may not yield positive results.

Yes, professional landscape lighting is typically worth the investment. Installing a lighting system can improve your home’s curb appeal, safety, and security, and it can also deter burglars. It adds value to your home by creating a brightly-lit outdoor space you can use after dark and making the property more appealing to potential buyers. According to the National Association of Realtors, landscape lighting can add up to $2,500 to your home’s value, and on average, this type of home improvement has a 50% return on investment.

While wet-rated and damp-rated lighting is designed to handle contact with moisture, there’s a difference between the two. Wet-rated lighting is safety-rated to be placed in areas with direct exposure to water, including your shower. Fixtures classed as wet-rated are made with waterproof seals to protect the filament and other electrical components from water and moisture. 

Damp-rated fixtures can be used in places with some moisture contact, but not direct exposure. They don’t have the same waterproof seals used in wet-rated fixtures. Damp-rated lighting can be used on your bathroom ceiling or along a wall outside of your shower.