Electricity is such a ubiquitous part of our everyday lives that we tend to take it for granted. This means that when working with electrical appliances or wiring, we might not even immediately think about some of the hazards associated with it.
It’s important to at least have a basic understanding as a homeowner or business property owner of some of the potential electrical hazards you could face. Certain types of electrical hazards can lead to elevated risk of fire or electrocution.
Here’s a quick rundown of how you can go about preventing electrical home hazards in Upland, CA:
- Issues with electrical outlets: Make sure all of the electrical outlets you have around the home are safe. If you have small children, you should get caps for those devices or use tamper-resistant receptacles to prevent children from sticking their fingers or small objects into the outlets. In addition, make sure the outlets are sufficiently tightened, and avoid overloading outlets with multiple plugs or adaptors, as this could create a fire risk.
- Use the right bulbs: Make sure you always use the right bulbs for your light fixtures and lamps. If you have a bulb with wattage that is greater than the maximum allotted wattage for that lamp or fixture, it could result in you overloading the wiring and potentially causing overheating or fire. Don’t draw more power than the fixture can take.
- Keep water away: Water and electricity do not mix. Make sure you keep water away from your electrical devices. If you drop an electrical device in water, make sure you shut off the power supply first, and then unplug the appliance before you go to retrieve it. If you see standing water near your electrical panel, call a professional electrician rather than attempting to work at the panel yourself.
- Manage your cords: Always be careful with electrical cords. Run the cords under rugs or carpets, and avoid nailing them to walls, running cords across high-traffic areas, running cords under carpets or rugs or sending cords across furniture. Cords should be regularly inspected to make sure they’re in good condition, and extension cords should only be used for temporary purposes.
- Don’t ignore breaker issues: Do you have a circuit breaker that regularly trips? Don’t ignore the issue—be proactive about resolving it as soon as you can. If this happens over and over again, it’ll be a sign that there’s something wrong that could potentially develop into a major safety hazard if you don’t take the appropriate steps to correct the problem.
- Only allow experts to do electrical work: It can be tempting to try to save some money by doing electrical work yourself, but this can quickly turn into a disaster if you don’t have the necessary knowledge or tools to get the job done correctly. You’re better off going with an electrician for your own safety, and to avoid having to do expensive reworking of the system later on.
Interested in learning more about preventing electrical hazards at home in Upland, CA? Contact the team at Ham’s Electric, Inc. for more information.