Electrical Tips: How to Keep Your Family Safe
Electrical safety is not a laughing matter. If electricity isn’t handled correctly, you could be putting your home and family at risk of serious injury or death. In this blog post, we’ll discuss unintentional electrical safety mistakes that you may be making and the steps you can take to improve the electricity in your
Do Not Cover Power Cords
It’s true that power cords aren’t the prettiest sight you’ve every laid your eyes on. Power cords are also tripping hazards. Many people address these issues by burying power cords under couches and rugs to keep them out of the way. While this may take care of the aesthetic issue, it can actually be a huge fire hazard. Use cord keepers to organize power cords and keep them from getting tangled up.
Repair Frayed Wiring
Minor fraying of power cords is not something that should be ignored. Frayed wires are fire hazards and they can pose a tremendous risk to children and pets. A damaged cord can put anyone who touches it at risk of electrical burns, shock, and even electrocution. Call an electrician in Santa Ana to repair any frayed wiring connected to outlets, switches, or other fixtures.
Stay Grounded
All circuits need to be grounded correctly. Circuits that are not grounded are putting your home and family at risk 24 hours a day. A circuit that isn’t grounded can cause shock if it comes in contact with moisture. Make sure all the outlets in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, basements, wet bars, etc., are always GFCIs and installed by professional electricians.
Don’t Ignore a Bad Breaker
Older homes have fuse boxes. Newer homes have circuit breakers. Regardless of whether your electricity runs off of fuses or breakers, it’s important that these components of your electrical system are working. If a fuse or breaker is tripping frequently, it needs to be fixed immediately. Chances are that the amount of power going to the fuse or breaker is too much. You may need to add additional fuses or breakers, and in some cases, you may need to add a subpanel to handle the extra load.
Know the Warning Signs of an Electrical Fire
Did you know that electrical fires can smolder inside of your home’s walls for days before they become noticeable to the naked eye? Electrical fires destroy homes and take hundreds of lives every year. Know the signs of an electrical fire to protect your family. These signs include the following:
- Burning odor
- Flickering or dimming of lights
- Sparks when turning on and off a switch
- Sizzling sounds when electricity is on
If you notice any of these instances happening in your home, give My Santa Ana Electrician Hero a call right away. We’ll send a licensed emergency electrician to your home immediately to assess the situation.
