Did you know that the most common reason for a home fire is a malfunction in the home’s electrical system? According to the ESF, there are 51,000 electrical fires every year. These fires cause an average of 500 deaths, 1,400 injuries, and more than a billion dollars in property damage. The good news is that electrical fires are mostly preventable. In this article, we’ll discuss how electrical fires happen and electrical fire safety tips you can use to reduce your risk of experiencing an electrical fire.
Common Causes of Electrical Fires
Electrical fires typically occur due to old or damaged plugs and wires and overuse of the system.
- Faulty Electrical Outlets
- Malfunctioning Appliances
- Not Using a Space Heater According to the Directions
- Old or Damaged Electrical Wiring.
- Overloaded Circuits
- Overloaded Power Strips
- Using Extension Cords Wrong or for an Extended Period of Time
- Using too many outlet extenders
Tips for Electrical Fire Safety in North Royalton
It’s important to be mindful of your home’s electrical system. If you suspect you have a problem with your system because your home is experiencing partial or full power outages or the circuit breakers keep tripping, always hire an experienced fire safety electrician in North Royalton to inspect the system and make repairs. To get started on the process of improving your home’s fire safety, take a look at these electrical fire safety tips.
Practice Safe Cord and Plug Handling
Always be mindful when it comes to the condition and placement of your electrical cords. Check cords frequently for damage and fraying and discard appliances and extension cords that are visibly damaged. Never run cords under rugs, bedding, or furniture that sits directly on the floor or across doorways. Always make sure that the plug you insert into the outlet fits snugly into the socket.
Don’t Overload Outlets
Surge protectors help keep your appliance safe from electrical surges. However, just because the power strip contains numerous plugs doesn’t mean you should use them all, and you should never plug multiple high-powered devices into a power strip or surge protector. If you must use all or most of the outlets in your strip, keep the devices you aren’t using off in order to lessen the strain on your outlet. Additionally, if you find that you constantly need more outlets than your home has, you should call a qualified electrician in North Royalton to install additional outlets and circuits in your home.
Always Plug Large Appliances Directly into the Wall
Large appliances, like refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers, space heaters, and window air conditioners should always be plugged directly into the wall and never into a power strip or outlet extender. Large appliances draw a lot of electricity when they first start and when they are in operation. Power strips and outlet extenders aren’t designed to handle that type of load, and it can result in overheating and sparking that could lead to a fire.
Seek Out A Professional Electrician
If you have an older home or a new home with limited outlets and circuits, you’ll want to consider hiring a fire safety electrician in North Royalton to perform an electrical inspection and look at your high-load areas. This is especially true if you have a home office with lots of computers, printers, and other devices, a theater room, or a sound or music room. A professional electrician can test your outlets, wiring, and light fixtures, listen to the problems you’ve been having with your system, and recommend a plan for increasing your home’s electrical safety, like installing new circuits and outlets and replacing old and outdated wiring.
Summary/Conclusion
Our professional electricians at North Royalton Electric have more than 40 years of experience in residential electrical systems. We can inspect your home’s wiring and your current usage to determine if it’s safe to use and give you some electrical fire safety tips to help reduce your risk of an electrical fire. If your home’s electrical system does need safety improvements, we can recommend a plan to improve your home’s electrical safety by installing new outlets, light fixtures, wiring, and circuits.
To schedule an appointment for a home wiring inspection or to have outlets replaced or installed, give us a call at 216-306-4296.