Home Electrical Safety Tips
Important things to remember for home electrical safety
Every homeowner needs to keep the home electrical safety tips discussed in this write-up in mind; they can make all the differences between a safe home and a death trap. In this write-up, some of the necessary precautions you should take while handling your electrical appliances and connections at home will be considered. These are not serious issues where you might require professional electrical inspections, but instead things you can do yourself to keep your home safe. Continue reading to find out more.
Handling electric cords
From time to time, check if your electric cords are damaged or not. Check if any part is exposed and fix such parts without delay. Never forget to switch off the main power supply before touching the electric cord that has been damaged. A worn electric cord can cause fire outbreak, short-circuiting, and even shock.
Handling electric plugs
Never attempt to remove electric plug from the socket by pulling on the cord. Instead, pull at the plastic housing. Pulling the cord, aside from damaging the plug and cord, can cause short-circuiting, which either can cause fire outbreak or damage the electrical appliance being powered by the plug.
Handling electric outlets
When using electric outlets, do not connect too many appliances at once. Before plugging any appliance to an electric outlet, check the amp rating of the socket. 13 amps sockets have limited capacity compared to 15 amps sockets. The 13 maps socket may melt, and this can damage your electrical appliances or affect the home wiring. Without proper surge protection on your home this can be even more of a hazard. Furthermore, never stick your toys, fingers or any other thing into an electric outlet, except the electric plug.
Handling water and electricity
Keep in mind that electricity and water are never friendly. Therefore, never attempt to operate any electrical appliance, like hair dryer or radio, close to a sink or bathtub. You should equally avoid touching any electrical appliance with wet hands, be it in the kitchen, bathroom or anywhere else.
Other important considerations
- When an electrical appliance fails to work correctly or emits sparks, unplug it immediately, and contact an appliance repair specialist.
- Always be cautious with electrical outlets and cords in shed, garages, or storage facilities, as you don’t want to damage wiring or plugs by placing heavy items on or against them.
- When any item is stuck in your electrical appliance, like a toaster, get it unplugged first before removing the item.
- Before you repair or handle any electrical appliance, make sure it is completely unplugged from the socket; it is not enough to just turn it off without unplugging it.
- Limit how often you use extension cords. Before buying one, find out if it has the right size and current rating. Heavy duty cords are the best for many of the electrical appliances used in the kitchen, especially those that use heating elements.
Conclusion
Electricity is useful but can be dangerous if not handled very carefully. You will not get it wrong if you apply the various home electrical safety tips discussed above.
