Follow these basic rules for electric safety in your home.
Cut off the power.
Before working on anything electrical, cut off the power supply. This is the only way to ensure no power goes through the wires.Rooms with running water must have ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI).
GFCI are circuit interrupters that shut off the electrical current from the circuit once they detect a shock hazard from the circuit.Under the National Electrical Code, GFCIs are mandatory for new homes. However, if you live in an older home, you should get GFCIs installed in your kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room.
Childproof your outlets.
Open outlets are dangerous, especially if you have children in your home. They are the perfect size for a child to push their tiny fingers into.Invest in tamper-resistant receptacles for all your outlets. There are several options on the market, but the best ones are spring-loaded and auto-cover the outlet when not in use.
Avoid extension cords for permanent use.
An extension cord is a great product, but only for temporary use. If you are using an extension cord for a permanent source of power supply, stop. Call an experienced electrician from Palm Beach and have an outlet installed.Take off the load from overloaded outlets.
Every outlet in your house can only take the load of a certain amount of energy. Using one outlet for multiple high-wattage appliances is a red flag.- Rearrange your appliances to take the load off the outlet.
Warm outlets are dangerous.
If an outlet is warm to the touch or if it frequently flips the circuit breaker, it’s a sign of a bad connection, which, if not taken care of, can lead to fire or shock hazards. Call an electrician to resolve the issue.Older appliances need to be grounded.
Grounding is the foundation of a house that holds all your electrical systems. To prevent shock hazards, ground testing is important.If you have two-pronged plugs for your appliances, that means your appliances could have grounding issues. This can put you at risk for a shock.
Ensure all your appliances have three-pronged plugs that connect to the grounded outlet. As a rule, if any outlets aren’t grounded, replace them and install a new circuit.
We tend to take electricity for granted. As a result, we forget how powerful and dangerous it can be. Follow these basic rules to protect you and your family from electrical hazards.
Author bio - Jeson Pitt works with the marketing department of D&F Liquidators and regularly writes to share his knowledge while enlightening people about electrical products and solving their electrical dilemmas. He's got the industry insights that you can count on along with years of experience in the field. Jason lives in Hayward, CA and loves to explore different cuisines that the food trucks in the Bay area have to offer.
