Now it’s quite clear that lots of people have thought about these questions already, but have reached rather different conclusions. It's required anywhere you might be plugging something in while you're grounded. Buy and use only outdoor-rated extension cords for any temporary lighting you're connecting outside your house. After all, few things douse the holiday spirit faster than potential fire hazards in your home.

Look for the UL/ETL/CSA safety labels. Water / a beverage that contains small gas bubbles. Don't place fixtures directly on your lawn, since mowing around them will be difficult. GFCI, or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, protection is one of the most important electrical safety improvements of the last forty years. The tiny “rice” sized bulbs give off high intensity light and virtually no heat. Think about this scenario:  It’s 2 o’clock in the morning, the outside light is on and the burglar is thinking about forcing a rear door or window below the light. NEXT: 9 Clever Ways to Bring the Indoors Out in Your Yard », 21 Pumpkin Faces to Carve or Design This Halloween, 75 Creative Couple Halloween Costumes for Any Duo, 40+ Seriously Cute Halloween Cupcake Ideas, 32 Epic '80s Costumes to Try This Halloween. Typically, surface-mounted fixtures, like your porch light, run on line voltage while landscape lighting typically runs on low-voltage. Also consider the fact that a majority of crime takes place during daylight hours. 2. This is NOT the same as saying “don’t put a light there”. Did the Houston Police Department intentionally target the house on Harding Street? Skeptics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for scientific skepticism. 1.

According to the study, “[W]hen risks are carefully considered, local authorities can safely reduce street lighting saving both costs and energy … without necessarily impacting negatively upon road traffic collisions and crime.”, According to a 2011 study of London street lighting and crime, there is no good evidence that increased lighting reduces total crime.” A 1997 National Institute of Justice study concluded, “We can have very little confidence that improved lighting prevents crime.”.

The burglars probably couldn’t see what they were doing! 2) outside lights should always be kept on at night. Most (like holiday lights) are UL-approved for wet environments, but it's essential to check the package to ensure that they are approved for extended outdoor use. rev 2020.10.22.37874, The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Skeptics Stack Exchange works best with JavaScript enabled, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site, Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, Learn more about hiring developers or posting ads with us, I'd imagine it's because a dark unknown house is harder to navigate without alerting the neighbors (through flashlight or falling over stuff). Be careful to keep lighting materials that generate heat, like many light bulbs, away from other materials that can ignite and burn easily.