Your power up your house and deck it with the best of appliances for an easy and efficient life. To continue reaping their benefits, maintenance of electrical fittings and equipment is quintessential to every household. While most people are thorough about the kind of fittings and appliances they want in the house, they are seldom fully aware of the maintenance and safety measures.
You can install robust wiring, quality plugs and switches, earth leakage circuit breaker, and other circuit components that help you prevent mishaps. Where negligence can result in devastating fire and electrocution accidents, many such incidences that occur every year can be avoided with little knowledge and vigilance. Here are some tips that you can follow for greater electrical safety at home.
- Keep appliances and equipment in proper working condition
Most often equipment that is not working properly or not plugged the right way leads to short circuits. Malfunctioning appliances are likely to draw more current abruptly which leads to such issues. Make sure that you are equipment work and plugged properly.
- Use appliances with the correct wattage
A common reason for fluctuating lights and heating of fixtures is using appliances with inappropriate wattages. Check the wattage on the lamps and other fixtures before buying. Using LED lights is a good idea as it consumes less power and prevents overheating of fixtures.
- Immediately replace the damaged cords
Check all the power cords at home regularly and never overlook or delay any visible damage. Damaged wires can lead to serious hazards like electrocution and fire. It is advisable to repair or replace, as required, any damaged cord as soon as it is detected.
- Switch off and unplug
People often forget to switch off or unplug appliances that are not in use. It raises the risk of power surge and overheating the appliances. Make sure that you unplug the devices after using or use modern smart plugs that allow power scheduling.
- Avoid congested placement
Electric equipment tends to heat up when used over a significant period. Proper air circulation around them defuses the heat and helps prevent overheating. Additionally, you should keep the inflammable objects away from such appliances and avoid running them in closed cabinets.
- Watch out for overloading
It is common to use multiple appliances in a single outlet. However, every outlet is designed to function with a certain amount of energy. Drawing more than its limit can cause serious accidents. If you have to place multiple appliances close to each other, try to get multiple outlets to balance the load.
- Avoid using extension cords
Extension cords provide you with a great solution for a temporary power supply. However, these should not be considered as a permanent solution. If you are using an extension cord as a permanent source of power for some appliance, replace it with an additional outlet.
- Know when to call experts for intervention
While you can fix a few electrical issues by yourself, know when to consult an expert. Instead of taking a risk and fixing appliances or wiring issues with partial knowledge, it is better to call an experienced and proficient expert to ensure safety.
- Keep fire extinguishers
Despite every safety measure you take, accidents can happen. It is always better to be prepared even for unforeseen threats. Keep a fire extinguisher handy at home and never use water to shut an electric fire.
