Tips for Home Electrical Safety

Here are some tips on home electrical safety that can save you from electrical failure and potential house fires.

Quick ideas for home safety

A few things to remember are to replace or repair damaged or loose electrical cords. If you have kids, make sure your home has tamper-resistant outlets. Educate your kids about electricity and water does not go together, electrical appliances must be far away from water. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for plugging an appliance into an outlet. Avoid overloading outlets. Plug only one high-wattage appliance into each receptacle outlet at a time.

If outlets or switches feel warm, you have problems with blowing fuses, or flickering lights, call a qualified electrician. Place lamps on something flat and away from things that can burn. Use bulbs that match the lamp’s recommended wattage. Make sure your home has ground fault circuit interrupters in the kitchen, bathroom, laundry, basement, and outdoor areas. Arc-fault circuit interrupters should be installed in your home to protect electrical outlets.

General appliances

To improve home safety make sure you hire a licensed electrician for all electrical repairs and works. Make sure to replace or repair appliances that are damaged. Cracked cords, broken plugs and any burning smell from an appliance can become a problem. If you are away from home for a long time, turn-off and unplug heavy duty appliances such as ovens, air conditioning, and heaters. Make sure your electrical appliances are far away from anything that can catch fire. During a storm, you should avoid using certain appliances such as hairdryers, toasters, radio and telephones.

Extension cords

Do not use extension cords as a way of wiring your home. Avoid running extension cords across doorways or under carpets. Have a certified electrician add circuits or outlets so you do not have to use extension cords. Use extension cords that are fitted with ground fault interruption device for added safety. Ensure that the extension cords can handle the wattage of the appliances that will be plugged into it. Cords should not go between doors, under heavy furniture as it could damage the protective insulation.