A house fire is a devastating experience that puts your family, pets, valuables, and entire home at great risk. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, almost 50,000 home electrical fires occur every year. Thankfully, most electrical fires are completely preventable. Just follow these five steps to protect your family and home from a potential electrical fire:
Replace Damaged Cords and Outlets
Damaged cords and outlets don’t offer adequate protection from sparking, and can quickly become major fire hazards. Always replace any cords or wiring that is frayed or otherwise visibly damaged. Loose or cracked electrical outlets also need to be replaced. It’s best to leave these jobs to a licensed electrician, to prevent the risk of electrocution.
Have an Electrician Inspect Your Wiring
If you have an older home, it’s a good idea to pay for an electrical inspection. The electrician will determine if your wiring is in good repair and up to code. If not, they will be able to rewire your home or make needed repairs in order to make your home much safer, and also help your electrical system to work more efficiently. In a newer home, you should request an electrical inspection if you notice any electrical issues such as lights flickering or an outlet that always creates a spark when you touch it.
Have More Outlets Installed
Remember that extension cords are only meant to be used as temporary solutions. If you need outlets in a section of your house that doesn’t have any, the safest thing to do is to have an electrician install some. This also applies to rooms where you find that you have way more appliances and electronics than outlets. By having new outlets added, you will always have enough spots to plug in your devices, without compromising safety.
Use the Right Light Bulbs
A simple mistake that can lead to a house fire is using the wrong light bulbs. Always check the voltage requirements on any lamps or light fixtures before buying new light bulbs. Adding LED lighting to your home is even safer, since LED lights don’t overheat the way traditional light bulbs do. As an added bonus, they also use much less energy.
Keep Electrical Appliances Away from Flammable Materials
It’s easy to forget that innocuous-seeming appliances and electronic devices like computers and lamps can create a fire hazard if they are left too close to something flammable and happen to overheat. Keep these items away from bedding, newspaper, dish towels, etc., as a spark from an overheating or malfunctioning electronic device can easily set flammable material on fire.
Once you implement these tips, you will know you’ve done a great job protecting your home and family from an electrical fire. Get in touch to learn how Fluent can offer your home greater security, including integrated security and fire alarm systems.
