We all know how important electricity is. It’s the reason we have hot water in our showers and air conditioning on those hot summer nights, but electricity is also dangerous. Here are four tips about electricity from professional electricians to keep you safe in your new home.
Always Have a Fire Extinguisher
A fire extinguisher is something that should be in every home. Most people keep their fire extinguishers in their kitchen thinking about kitchen fires, but it is also vital to extinguish an electrical fire. Electrical fires are made worse by water since water conducts electricity, resulting in a shock, so you’ll need to use a fire extinguisher if you encounter an electrical fire.
Use Multiple Outlets
Since outlets can only have two things plugged in at a time, many homeowners turn to outlet strips to plug in multiple devices to a single outlet, but this is dangerous. There’s a reason an outlet only has two facings, and plugging too much in will overwhelm it. According to the National Fire Protection Association, 48% of home structure electrical fires involve some type of electrical distribution equipment, like overloaded outlets. If you don’t have enough outlets, local home electricians can install new ones for you.
Child-Proof Outlets
If you haven’t learned by now, electricity can be dangerous, especially for children. If you have children or may have children in your home like nieces and nephews, you’ll want to make sure you child-proof your outlets to keep them safe. A spring-loaded outlet cover that stays shut when nothing is plugged in will be a safe option.
Extension Cord Use
Extension cords come in handy, especially when you don’t have an outlet nearby. While they are useful and safe temporarily, they should never be used long-term. For example, if you have a lamp you use next to the couch but there is no outlet where you have it, using an extension cord to reach is not a long-term solution. You can either find a new location for the lamp closer to an outlet or have an electrician install a new outlet.
Electricity and the risk of electrical fires are serious and dangerous, so you’ll want to make sure you follow these electrical safety tips. If you run into any electrical problems you shouldn’t try to fix them yourself, call the professional electricians at Reyco Electrical Services to keep yourself and your family safe.
