An electrical safety check should be a vital part of regular, everyday home maintenance.
There are some really basic problems that we should look out for. Even though we probably know better, we sometimes get too busy to take proper notice, or we just overlook the danger. However, we need to look after electrical safety at home to protect ourselves and our family. Did you know that there are around 15 deaths attributed to electrical accidents in the home each year? Electrical faults in the home also account for a large number of house fires every year. These are concerning statistics for all homeowners, but there are some basic rules when it comes to electrical safety at home. Following these basic rules can help prevent such disasters occurring.
Let’s take a look at some of the basic electrical safety tips at home:
Electrical safety check #1
Carry out an electrical safety check around your home. You don’t need to be a certified electrician to carry out your own electrical safety audit. Use your common sense to look around at each and every power outlet. Are they all secured and in good working condition? Do the switches work properly? Are there any signs of overheating, blackening or burning. In addition to obvious signs, are there any other suspicious signs? If so, get them replaced immediately by a certified electrician. There is no excuse for placing your family at risk because of poor electrical safety at home.
Electrical safety check #2
Check for overloaded circuits. The next, most obvious problem is trying to connect too many outlets to a single power point. Never overload a single circuit. Furthermore, as a general rule, limit each power outlet to just one power board as a maximum.
Electrical safety check #3
Check that all electrical plugs are in good condition. It pays to do an electrical safety check of all your appliances regularly. This is to make sure that there are no exposed wires, or faulty plugs. If anything looks slightly suspicious, it is best to dispose of the item and replace. While this may sound extreme, it is simply not worth the risk of an electrical fault in the home.
Electrical safety check #4
Check that all appliance plugs are insulated. One of the more recent electrical safety tips at home is the insulation protection that has been added to all modern electrical appliance plugs. You might notice the insulated coating that covers half of all of the metal tines on your appliance plugs? This is now required by legislation. Consequently, all appliances must now conform with this latest requirement. This is to prevent accidental electrocution. Inspect all of your appliances to make sure the plugs are correctly insulated.
Electrical safety check #5
Check the smoke alarms. You can check them regularly at home yourself. In addition, it is advisable to test smoke alarms once per year. We recommend to include these an annual electrical safety check with your electrician.
Electrical safety check #6
Check extension cords. We are all guilty of using extension cords as a quick fix when the appliance lead won’t reach the nearest power outlet. But there is no need to use extension leads as a permanent solution. Time to get a new power outlet installed!
Electrical safety check #7
Check whether an Residual Current Device, or RCD, is installed in you home’s power board. This check is not difficult to do. Furthermore, it is good to know how to recognise one of these safety devices in your home. It looks like a trip switch in your power board, and should be labelled as RCD or Earth Leakage Device (ELD). These are required by legislation. So while new homes are required to have one installed, there are many older homes that do not have one.
This leads us to the next point – why not consider a professional electrical safety check for your home?
Call Your Electrician In for a Professional Electrical Safety Check
We often find that when people follow these 7 electrical safety tips at home, they find a couple of minor issues. Yet, despite knowing they have a potentially dangerous situation, they choose to postpone taking action. And over time, those minor issues can become more important. Furthermore, the can actually add up to more serious issues. If you are at all concerned about your home electrical safety, do consider an electrical safety check from a qualified electrician.
Most aspects of electrical safety you most definitely shouldn’t try to fix yourself. Short of upgrading to appliances in good condition, and keeping electrical appliances and outlets dust free, you’ll need someone you can call on. It goes without saying that all electrical work must be conducted by an authorised and qualified electrician. If any of the above 7 Electrical Safety Check items don’t measure up, call JTB Electrical for assistance. We can also assist you with electrical safety checks outside your home.
Give us a call at JTB electrical, and we can conduct an electrical safety check of your home.
