6 Electrical safety tips every homeowner should know about

Electricity is one of the dangerous things that can easily take any human’s life. According to the report of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, electricity causes around 31,000 house fires every year, which result in approximately 200 deaths. In this regard, I just want to say that electric maintenance is a vital requirement of every household, but we must do it with care and proper knowledge so that it will harm anyone.

Electrical contractor experts say that most electrical accidents happen due to a lack of knowledge. Apart from that, there are various safety concerns that you must know before you step into the work of electricity repair.

What are the causes of electrical fires in houses?

In a report by the National Fire Protection Association, most house fires occur due to faulty wiring or damaged wiring, and others are caused due to faulty electrical equipment. Apart from that, some of the other causes of electrical fires are: –

• Misused extension cords
• Using a bulb with high wattage
• Placing flammable objects near electrical appliances or bulbs
• Overloading power strips
• Faulty outlets

Now here the question arises: how does faulty wiring cause fires?

With the time when your home wire becomes damaged or old, it will surely struggle to offer optimum power to the things and will not run properly. So, before you plug in any of the electrical things, make sure it is not damaged or not too old. However, if you find the wire damaged, ensure not to change or repair it yourself; call the professional emergency electrician service to do the needful.

Now the question arises: What are those electricity safety tips that every homeowner must know for their safety? So, to get this answer let’s read this weblog till the end, which will help you know safety tips in detail.

Six electrical safety tips every homeowner should know

There are many electrical accidents in homes that can be easily prevented with simple electricity tips. So, let’s discuss those simple safety tips: –

Perform a house electricity check-up from time to time

According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, go for routine check-ups regarding your home power set-up. Here we are just talking about things in your hands like plugs, bulbs, surge protectors, etc. 

In other words, more from one room to another to check: –

• All the fuses are appropriately turned on
• All the home plugs and switches are working properly
• Wires are not running under the carpets or are up on the furniture
• All the cords are damage-free and are properly intact
• Electrical appliances wiring is not coming in contact with water

After checking all the above things, immediately call the professional electrician to repair it if you find anything faulty.

Know the signs of trouble

In regards to electricity, knowing the various signs of electrical trouble will keep you and your family out of danger. Some of the signs of trouble are: –

• If the electrical outlet of your home sparks
• If the electrical lamps, outlets, or appliances are offering a buzzing sound
• If you receive any shock or burn while doing something
• The light and bulbs of your house start flickering or get burn
• The wires of the electrical appliance have signs of cracks, tears, teeth marks
• Most of the switches, outlets, and also lamp fixtures are feeling warm
• The electrical devices in your home deliver a strange smell

If you find any cases in your home, don’t ignore those issues. Contact the electrical contractor in Anaheim immediately and ask them for an electrical safety inspection.

Prevent overloaded outlets

Keeping an eye on signs of electrical trouble is one thing that you can prevent by calling a professional electrician. But on the other hand, you must know how much every electrical outlet can take the load? That means every outlet of your home can handle different MPs of power, so it becomes vital for the safety of you and your family members to load that power outlet accordingly.

In short, putting too much strain on any of the outlets is one of the dangerous things that can erupt fire inside your home. According to a report, this issue has caused thousands of fires in Americans’ homes which is a matter of concern.

For safety, ensure not to plug any of the below things in the surge protector or extension cord: –

• Microwaves
• Space heaters
• Air conditioners
• Sump pumps
• Air fryers
• Curling irons
• Slow cookers and many more

Moreover, if your home doesn’t have enough sockets for plugs, contact your electrician, as they will install proper wiring for the plugs.

Ensure all the outlets are childproof

Almost every home has kids, and you will be surprised to know they are curious about electrical outlets. So, in order to protect them from any injury, always go for outlet covers or Tamper Resistant Receptacles. This object takes the help of a spring-loaded cover which helps in preventing foreign objects from being inserted inside.

So, if your homes have kids, ensure to take the help of the above safety object to avoid any injuries.

Unplug all the unused electrical appliances to reduce risks

This is one of the simplest safety tips and no doubt one of the easiest which you can easily forget. That means, when you are not using your electrical appliances, unplug them immediately. This step not only helps save your power as it reduces any phantom drain but also protects the appliances from overheating or power surges.

Well, you can easily forget this step, but for the best result, install new generation smart plugs, as it will allow you to set power schedules for each and every outlet.

Offer your electrical appliance a proper space for air circulation.

To avoid any electrical emergency, ensure to offer proper air circulation to your electrical equipment so that it cannot overheat and short out. If it happens, your home will catch fire easily; after that, you know what will happen.

Moreover, also make sure not to run the equipment in enclosed cabinets without proper air circulation. Furthermore, keep all the flammable objects away from all the appliances so that your home will be safe in case of a short circuit.

On top of that, pay close attention while installing a water heater as they need to be situated at least one foot away from the wall for the best result.

After reading the above safety tips, various questions may come to the reader’s mind. So, let’s answer those questions so that all your doubts will be clear and you can take care of your home.

How do we prevent power surges?

The power surge will take just a second and can create havoc in the home by damaging various electronic appliances, outlets, etc. But if you want to prevent a power surge in your home, you must take care of several things. They are: –

• Always invest in energy-efficient appliances
• Unplug everything during a storm
• Go for a whole-home surge protector
• Regularly call a professional electrician to evaluate your home wiring
• Don’t overload your electrical outlets
• Beware of post-outage surge

If you follow the above steps in your home, you can easily prevent the outcome of a power surge and save your money in the long run.

Do surge protectors prevent fires?

A surge protector is the facet of the power strips which will protect all your electrical equipment from damage in case of a power surge. But it will help in preventing fire in your homes.

What causes a short circuit?

A short circuit is a severe electrical accident that can easily cause severe damage to all your electrical appliances. It occurs when the low-resistance path is not suited to carry electricity and gets a high-voltage electrical current. Due to this short circuit, your home electrical appliances can damage, you can get an electrical shock which can be severe, and on top of that, your home can catch fire which is dangerous.

The bottom line

Electrical safety is an essential part of every home that keeps the family and home members safe. Electricity is indeed used in almost every work we do, from lighting the house to making food. But if you want to take the full benefit, you must respect it by following the above safety tips. 

On the other hand, if you find signs of trouble in your home, always call a professional electrical contractor for the work, like EZ Eletric, who are serving people in San Diego, Orange County, and Riverside County. The electricians this company owns are bonded, insured, and licensed and do satisfactory work for the people at an affordable price.

When you call them, they will first inspect the whole home and then take the final solution considering things from various aspects. Their main aim is to meet your expectations so that they can enhance their long successful track keeping people safe and secure.