It is indicated that the second leading cause of household fires is electrical fires in this country. Some of this can be attributed to the growing reliance on electronics, not something likely to diminish but rather continue to increase. Another cause of electrical fires is aged wiring in homes.
A good idea when moving to the local area is to have a Charlotte electrician inspect the wiring to ensure everything is up to code. That is especially true if you are purchasing an older home with the likelihood that the system could be original to the house.
In this way, you can have peace of mind that the system will serve your daily purposes without fail and with optimum safety. Everyone has become incredibly reliant on electricity to keep things moving steadily.
Without that utility, many people would be lost without a clue how to function. Just look at the dysfunction when there is a power outage. Let us look at a few tips to improve your household electrical safety.
How Can You Improve Your Household Electrical Safety?
A good Charlotte electrician has the ability to help you as a homeowner ensure your household is safe and secure from the potential threat of an electrical fire. Find out what your electrician wants you to know at https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/10-things-your-electrician-wants-you-to-know/.
When moving into a home, if you have no information on the wiring system, it’s a good idea to have it inspected by a licensed electrician to make sure it meets code, that it’s safe, and inquire if the professional would suggest updating the wiring instead of settling for it being “good enough to pass inspection.”
That is particularly considering the statistics concerning electrical fires in the home. Check out a few tips you can practice for additional household electrical safety precautions.
● Schedule a routine electrical “check-up”
The suggestion is that you can do this on your own, but an even greater method for handling this is to have a licensed Charlotte electrician scheduled every six months to a year to do the check-up with you.
The professional will be able to detect any abnormalities and can make corrections immediately before any significant issues arise down the road. That will instill optimum safety for the household.
With the check, anything “under your control” should be inspected, including surge protectors, plug-ins, light bulbs, and appliances, by moving from one space to the next.
As time passes, electrical codes change so that we can become safer. That means old or antiquated items will no longer be deemed safe. So, if you have a beloved object that you consider to be “vintage” from a grandparent, it will need to either be for mere show and not used, be rewired to code, or will need to go to recycle.
● Learn the varied red flags
Despite following adequate safety precautions when maintaining the wiring or when using the outlets and switches, there could still be a problem that you cannot visually recognize.
Something to consider is that an old house might still consist of wiring referenced as “knob and tube.” This can lead to issues over fraying cords or poor alterations. Go here for top electrical wiring tips. How you can sense electrical hazards developing in the household, include the following red flags:
- Items running off the electricity will make a buzzing noise. It can also come from the walls where the wiring is.
- The outlets, switch plates, and plates surrounding the ceiling lights will be warm to the touch.
- The electrical units will produce odors.
- Breakers will trip often.
- Light bulbs will not last, and the lights will flicker.
- Outlets will give off sparks.
● Do not overload the outlets
Prevention is always the first step when trying to achieve optimum safety. With electricity, which means recognizing the power level an electrical outlet can handle and determining how to prevent overloading these.
As a rule, many outlets can carry roughly twenty amps. That means checking each item before inserting the plug.
It can be tempting to add just one more when the surge protector is hooked up, but that is the ideal path to an electrical fire. Some things should not be plugged into an extension cord or surge protectors. These include:
- Microwave
- Hairdryer
- Air conditioner
- Curling iron
- Toaster
- Refrigerator
- Space heater
- Sump pump
- Pressure cooker
- Air fryer
- Slow cooker
It is also discouraged to plug one extension cord into a second one or use a second power strip to extend the power of the next one. A Charlotte electrician can advise proper wiring in the home if you find you are relying on extension cords throughout the household.
Final Thought
When you pay close attention to the red flags and employ routine check-ups with the help of a well-established, qualified, and licensed Charlotte electrician, you can have peace of mind that you are working diligently to maintain optimum electrical safety.