Saturday, February 14, 2015

How to Keep your Home Safe from Electrical Dangers

For a long time, electricity has been reported to be the main cause of home fires. Many of us cannot do without electrical appliances in our homes. The TVs, computers, microwaves and ovens in our homes utilize electricity. There’s always the risk of electrical accidents occurring when using these appliances, when least expected. Good thing is you can always prevent electrical hazards in your home by taking the necessary safety measures seriously.

First, you must ensure that any electrical installation required in your home is professionally done. If you call an incompetent person to fix your shower then you’re creating a danger to yourself and other people in your home. Always remember that as much as it is easy to make an electrical circuit work, many people are not trained on how to make the circuits work safely. So your safety is always at risk if you entrust an incompetent person to handle electrical work.

Secondly, take your time to understand the various electrical components in your home and how they work. For instance, you need to know that you can turn off the main switch or consumer unit in your property if there is an electrical emergency. This simply cuts off power supply until an electrician arrives. You also need to know whether your home has circuit breakers or fuses to protect it from danger if there is an electric fault.

You may also want to consider getting an RCD installed in your home. The residual current devices are designed to prevent electric shock by making sure any live wires do not cause electrocution. They actually provide a level of protection that circuit breakers and fuses cannot provide.

It is important to ensure that your home’s wiring is in top notch condition. Faulty and aging wiring can not only damage your expensive appliances but also put your home at risk of fire. Call in an electrician and have them check the cables, switches and sockets in your home. You also need to look out for signs that your electrical wiring is faulty. For instance, if your lights keep on flickering then this could signify a problem with the wiring.

For those who use adaptors and extensions around the home, care should be taken as these components can create real danger. There are cases when they overheat and can easily cause a fire. For one, you should never plug in an adaptor into another adapter. Overloading the adaptor with appliances that have high electric current e.g. irons and heaters can also present serious issues. Most importantly, avoid purchasing substandard adapters and electric extensions.

Instead of using multiple adapters and extensions in your home, call in an electrician to install extra sockets in the room. The electrical expert can even replace some of the single sockets with twin sockets so that you don’t need to use so many extensions which create danger. Also remember to install electrical equipment correctly especially in the kitchen where multiple appliances are used at the same time.

Posted By: Blackstock Electric http://blackstockelectric.com