Although we live surrounded by electrical appliances that run on electricity, electrical safety is something we rarely think about. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission recorded about 31,000 home electrical fire cases in the country, killing over 200 people every year.
To avoid any electrical hazards, you must practice electrical safety in your home. It would help if you also kept the contact of the best residential electrical service handy in case of an emergency.
Given below are some of the simple electrical safety tips you should follow as a responsible homeowner.
1. Clean your exhaust fans at regular intervals
We’re not talking about the exhaust fans of your kitchens or bathrooms, but about the exhaust fans in your electrical appliances. Many electrical appliances, such as refrigerators and computers, have exhaust fans.
However, over time these fans get dirty or clogged. Clogged fans can affect the appliance’s life and increase the risk of fire hazard. Therefore, you should clean the exhaust fans of these appliances at regular intervals.
If you can do it on your own, you can get an Electrician from an electric company in Wisconsin to do it for you.
2. Unplug all your appliances after use
Although it sounds simple, most of the time, we end up forgetting to unplug an appliance when it is not in use. You might not know it, but all the electric devices consume energy even if they are not in active use.
Therefore, the habit of unplugging can reduce the risk of overheating as well as save phantom power drainage.
If your family members are forgetful, you can install smart plugs in your home. These new generation plugs allow you to set power schedules. You can contact your home electrical contractors for the installation of the smart plugs.
3. Don’t overload your electrical sockets
Overloading a power outlet is one of the most common causes of home electrical fires. Here are a few pointers you can follow to avoid overloading your electrical sockets:
- Always plug your electrical appliances directly into the sockets. Avoid using extension cords as far as possible.
- Only plug one heat-producing appliance in a plug at a time.
- If you need to use electric kettle, induction, and other appliances at once, install more sockets in the kitchen.
- Check the temperature of all the sockets of your home at regular intervals. Cool sockets are not a problem, but warm ones should be taken care of.
- If you find an overheated socket, stop using it immediately and call an Electrician from a Wisconsin electric company.
4. Read the instructions carefully
All electrical appliances come with a manual that contains all the instructions the user should know. More often than not, we discard the manual, confident that we already know enough.
You might not know it, but the manual contains essential insight on the appliance that might come in handy in the future. Besides, it will take you less than an hour to read it, so why not?
5. Beware of water
We all know that water is a good conductor of electricity. Therefore, water around electrical appliances is a recipe for disaster. Water can not only damage your appliance but also leads to electrocution and electrical fire in many cases.
Therefore, you should keep your electrical appliances far from the range of water. This includes placing them away from washbasins, aquariums, flower pots, and any other water source in your home.US Consumer Product Safety Commission
Summing up
The most important electrical safety tip you need to follow is knowing when to get help. You can’t possibly tackle all your electrical problems on your own. Sometimes it’s best to leave the job on the experts.
Advanced Electric LLC is a Wisconsin electric company that provides the best residential electrical service in the state. If you ever feel like you need electrical assistance, you can contact them.