All electrical installations in your home are destined to deteriorate with age and continuous use. When this happens, you are likely to be inconvenienced by unexpected repairs, experience damage to electronic devices or worse still experience a fire that will damage your home and injure your family. This may look like an uncommon occurrence but you should keep in mind that over 50,000 home fires that happen each year are caused by electrical malfunctions. As a result, about 500 people die, 1,400 get injured and property worth $1.3 billion is destroyed. The common electrical malfunctions include electrical distribution system, arcing faults and electrical receptacles. With this in mind, you understand the importance of having a fully working and safe electrical system in your home. The following tips will help you in keeping your home safe:
Be on the lookout for danger signs
Although not always obvious, some signs show that there is a problem with your home electrical system. They include funny odors, sparks, buzzing sounds, hot outlets, circuit breakers that trip repeatedly and flickering lights. Flickering lights may be a result of other devices taking in too much power, and sparks show serious wiring problems while buzzing sounds indicate loose pongs or frayed wires. You also need to check the wires if the plastic sheath is damaged so that the inner wires are exposed. This can be very dangerous if such damaged wires are in close proximity to water. The best thing to do when you see these signs is to call a licensed electric technician to look into the issues and repair them early enough before they cause a fire hazard.
Schedule regular inspections
Prevention is always better than cure, and this is why you should schedule an electrical inspection for your home by a licensed electric technician as required. Most people neglect regular inspections forgetting that electrical devices get weaker with age. Also, you cannot rely on your inspections or danger signs because others are not obvious, and you may not recognize them. A licensed electric technician is an expert who will make sure that all your electrical installations meet the required safety standards. Things that are usually assessed include your electrical system, power plugs, outlets, electrical cords and extension cords. After each inspection, you will receive a report which details the problem areas and what should be done to repair them.
Install smoke detectors
Home fires including those caused by electric malfunctions can happen unexpectedly, and if they are realized early, there are high chances of putting it off before they become destructive. Therefore, it is important to install smoke detectors in every area of your home and check them regularly to ensure that they are in good working condition.
Upgrade your electrical system
Updating your home’s aging electrical system which includes the panels, circuit breakers, lighting, ceiling fans and others is crucial in ensuring that you save on energy costs, improve value, transform your home and more so improve your security and safety of your home. Old electrical panels are usually risk because they are not compliant with electrical current demands and should be upgraded.
If you follow the above electrical fire safety tips, you will always have a piece of mind not having to worry about the sparking lights, buzzing sounds or bad smells that indicate a ticking time bomb in your house. Get a licensed electric technician to check if you have any overloads, a potential electrical fire hazard or shocks, defective electricity, and the absence of earthing. Only then will you be sure that your family is safe from home electrical fires.
