Life without electricity is hard to imagine. But at the same time, not taking proper precautions while using electrical appliances can be dangerous and even fatal. In fact, there has been a rise in the number of house fires in the past few years and the major reasons include unattended cooking, followed by electrical malfunctions. To avoid such mishaps and to ensure you don’t risk your and your loved one’s life, here are some basic electrical safety tips that you should follow.
- Use Extension Cords Safely
We often need to use extension cords for running more than one appliances. But extension cords are good only for temporary use. You should avoid using them as a permanent source of power. Moreover, homeowners often overload extension cords (running too many appliances using a single extension cord). This might be one of the biggest mistakes they make. If you need more power outlets, get them installed with help of an experienced electrician such as those from New Edge Group.
- Childproofing Outlets
If you children or are planning to have children in future, you must childproof the outlets. Children have a natural curiosity towards electrical outlets and their little fingers easily get in. There have been a number of instances where children have got electrocuted or got hurt while trying to put their fingers inside electrical outlets. The first thing you can do to keep your children safe is to install the outlets at a certain height. Secondly, you can install outlet covers (a variety of covers available in the market) to prevent children from putting their fingers inside.
- Safety with Lamps
Our life would be dark without lamps, but did you know electric lamps can cause serious damage to your property? No, surely they can’t start a house fire, but minor fires can break out if the hot bulb comes in contact with flammable items. Therefore, it is a must that you place the lamps on flat and even surfaces.
Another thing that you must keep an eye on is flickering light. Lamps often flicker when there are any problems in the electrical line or connection. If you experience anything like this, call the electrician and get the lines, outlets and the connection inspected immediately.
- Warm Outlet is a Sign of Danger
If the outlets get warmed or flip the circuit breaker quite often, there is something seriously wrong with the outlet. If kept unattended for a long time, it can lead to serious problems such as fires or shock hazards. So if you find an outlet becoming warm, get it inspected by a professional without delay.
- Proper Maintenance is a Must
Proper maintenance of the electrical circuits is very important to ensure the safety of the property and the inmates. Regular maintenance allows electricians to identify problems at an early stage and get them fixed before they become serious. As a homeowner, you must also keep your eyes open for the signs of electric damage such as tripping circuits, warm outlets, blown fuses, flickering lights, etc. and call the electrician to address the issues immediately.
When used properly, electricity can make life beautiful, but when used without caution, it can cause serious damage. Follow the tips we’ve shared above and enjoy using electrical appliances without putting anyone in danger.
