Most homes will need electrical service at one time or another, but electrical emergencies and electrical fires can often be avoided by homeowners if they know how to keep their home protected. In too many cases, electrical emergencies are caused by a careless homeowner who overlooks basic safety when it comes to electrical wiring and other fixtures. To avoid this in your home, note a few quick tips for keeping your home safe from electrical emergencies, shutdowns, and even fires.
1. Unplug equipment before you work on it
It can be tempting to try to pry a disc out of a computer or DVD player when it's stuck or to change a belt on the vacuum cleaner right after you've vacuumed the house, but you always want to ensure you unplug these items first. If they're plugged in, they're getting electricity and if you were to interrupt that circuit, you could get a shock. This burst of electricity as it comes to an interruption of the circuit can then also damage the wiring or plug to which it's connected and cause a fire, or cause the electric circuits to shut down. Never attempt any work, no matter how small, before unplugging an electrical device.
2. Keep cords in good repair
Folding cords or allowing them to stay bent while in use or in storage can mean wearing down the protective rubber covering. Once this becomes worn, the wiring inside can be exposed. Exposed wiring can mean electricity coming into contact with something that can be easily singed or burned, such as carpeting or drapes. To avoid this, always loop cords in a long circle before storing them and ensure you pull out any kinks, folds, and the like.
3. Avoid overheating lights and lamps
A light bulb may not seem very warm to you but if you're using a bulb with wattage that is too high for a lamp or light fixture, the material around the bulb may get very warm and in turn, could actually singe the wall next to it, the ceiling around a recessed light, or any type of fabric that's near the light fixture. Too much wattage from a bulb can also put too many electrical demands on the wiring behind the walls and these can then become bare and frayed. If you need a brighter bulb in a lamp or light fixture, upgrade the fixture itself to something that can handle that wattage.
Share22 January 2016
Welcome to my blog. My name is Mia. A few years ago, my partner and I bought an old home. It needed to have all new wiring installed, and through that process of working closely with a fabulous electrician, I learned a lot. I learned everything, from which questions to ask, to how to do a bit of wiring on my own. If you are hiring an electrician, you need to explore my posts. I hope they help guide you in the right direction. Now, that our home is finally, for the first time, not in the midst of a repair or project, I decided to start this blog. In addition, I also like to fish and read.