Basic Electrical Wiring Precautions
Sometimes, electricity-related accidents still take place regardless of how responsible homeowners are in checking their home’s electrical wiring. In order to avoid these accidents, here are some of the basic electrical wiring precautions you should take:
• Turn off the main power switch whenever electrical repairs are being done, no matter how minor those repairs are.
• Avoid coming into contact with electrical wiring if your hands and feet are wet.
• Avoid using extension cords with multiple sockets unless necessary. Plugging in more appliances than what your electrical wiring can support can lead to circuit breaks and overloads.
• Seal off exposed wires and replace cracked sockets as soon as you see them.
• Read the manuals of appliances to make sure you use them properly.
If you are unsure of how a particular electrical repair should be done, the safest thing to do is hire a professional electrician to do the job.
Safe Electrical Wiring
According to the National Fire Protection Association, there is a one-in-four chance a fire will be reported at your house during your lifetime. In 2011, fires caused 15,635 injuries and 2,640 deaths.
Faulty or damaged electrical wiring is one of the causes of home fires. It’s crucial for every homeowner to realize the importance of having safe electrical wiring in their homes in order to avoid damage to property and loss of lives.
Even if you don’t own the home you currently live in, you still need to know a thing or two about safe electrical wiring to ensure your own safety and that of the people who live with you.
FINANCIAL ISSUES
The desire to save money is one of the most cited reasons people end up with faulty or low-quality electrical wiring in their homes.
Quality electrical services come at a price, and with good reason. The work that needs to be done is complex and dangerous at times. But during financially trying times, people want to save every last penny they can.
Instead of hiring the most qualified electrician to install the wiring for their home, some homeowners go with the one who charges the lowest fees. Unfortunately, this often means they won’t get the quality service they need, and they may be inadvertently putting themselves and their home at great risk.
UPDATING CIRCUITS
Electricity-related house fires occur because many homeowners fail to have their home’s electrical wiring updated. This is true for those who live in older homes that have not been checked by an electrician for a long time.
You may not have experienced any electrical problems, but if you know that your home’s wiring has not been inspected in the last 10 or so years, you need to get in touch with an electrician as soon as possible and have new wires installed as a precautionary measure.
Ideally, houses should be checked for damaged or faulty electrical wiring every five years. Some homeowners have this done every two or three years.
You do have to pay for such services, but it is worth it when you can sleep more soundly at night knowing that your house and your family are protected against house fires and other electricity-related catastrophes.