5 Electrical Safety Tips For Your Home

What makes a house a true home? Of course, to have a perfectly maintained garden, a dog running around, and a cozy spot next to the fireplace is the first thing that comes to mind. It does sound quite inviting. But that is just scratching the surface. Don’t get this the wrong way, everyone loves to be surrounded by nice things, but there is a special element that can create that homely feeling – and that is safety. A simple and overlooked way to secure your property is to maintain good electrical safety.

Keeping your house risk-free electricity-wise must be high up on your priority list. If neglected, it may cost you a bit more than just a few appliances, it could also put your family in some serious danger.

To make sure the people you love are protected, the National Construction Council has gathered a few home electrical safety tips that can help you with the task:

Here is what you can do to protect the children

Children are quite the curious little things, aren’t they? But they have the unsettling tendency to play with things that can hurt them. One of them is your electrical outlets. Every parent has encountered at least once the classical “try-to-put-the-pencil-in-the-hole” story. To eliminate situations like that, arrange your furniture in front of the unused outlets, so the kids don’t have access to them.

Also, make sure to hide the electrical cords and to keep appliances out of their reach. Another problem-solver is to put plastic protectors. Make sure to exclusively as your electrical contractor to install these. Bonus points? It can save you a bit of cash by preventing cold drafts.

Invest in a safety switch

Installing safety switches will definitely help you sleep better at night. They work fairly simple: when something suspicious is detected in the electrical system, they automatically shut down your power supply, saving you from potential injuries and nerves in the long term. Interestingly enough, it is also mandated by the law that all new houses are required to have safety switches installed.

Always make sure to test them every 3 months!

These are the steps that are required to get the job done:

• First, make sure that you inform everyone at the property that you are testing the switches because checking them means that all power will be cut off. You don’t want someone to lose their unsaved file with that last minute school assignment, right?
• Press the ‘T’ or ‘Test’ button located on the safety switch at the switchboard. If it makes a clicking sound and everything goes dark, it means you are on the right track. The appliances and lights that are off are the ones protected. If none of this happens, the system is not working properly and you should call a licensed tradesman right away, says Dmitri Kara, a representative of the Fantastic Services Electricians in London.
• After you done with the job, turn the power back on. Some appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners need 2-3 minutes before being reset, so potential damage is avoided.

Never touch wet electrical appliances

Everyone and their grandmothers know that water and electricity don’t have the best relationship. As you probably know, H2O conducts electricity almost too well. This is common sense but getting electrified by a wet hair dryer can be lethal. You have seen how the pretty chick casually drops the hair tool in the bathtub, while her boyfriend is chilling in it at least once in a movie. You get the point.

Always make sure that children are supervised when they are in contact with electrical appliances especially around your cooking area. Even if you have the best dream kitchen solutions, take the time to properly advise children how to be safe around electricity, what they should not touch, nor do.

Make sure to unplug the appliances

Every household has some type of electrical appliance and not many people think about how dangerous they can be. A basic item such as a toaster can set you up with a one-way ticket to the ER.

Here is a list with the precautions you can take to ensure safe usage:

• Unplug all devices that you are not using and store cables away from children and pets.
• If an appliance brakes, don’t go playing Handy Manny. Hire an electrician to fix it.
• Make sure to keep items that generate heat in a well-ventilated area, so they can cool down properly. Don’t cover them with any materials that are easily flammable, such as clothes or toys.
• Keep all electrically powered supplies away from water.

Never try to handle electrical problems by yourself

First and most important is that you can severely hurt yourself. Electrical systems are really complicated and can kill you on the spot. An interesting fact is, that it’s actually illegal to go around poking by yourself in electrical outlets.

If you want any type of electrical work done at your property, you either must have the appropriate qualifications and licenses or hire a professional to do it for you.  

How to prevent a fire caused by electricity?

Sometimes Lady Luck gets in a bad mood and doesn’t care about the efforts we have put to provide a safe environment.

To avoid even her, you can take measures to triple-check potential fire-starting objects.

1. If you see any light switches that like to flicker or are hot to the touch, just replace them.
2. Make sure to prevent the overloading of extension cords, sockets, and plugs.
3. Locate the fuse boxes and educate yourself on how to operate them.

And if everything still goes downhill and a fire does start, just stay as calm as possible and immediately call the appropriate emergency services.

It is vital to remember: Never use water on a fire caused by electricity! Use a dry fire extinguisher or baking soda instead.

If you keep these tips and tricks close to mind, you will be able to provide a secure living environment for your dearest ones. After all, a safe home is a happy home!