Home Electrical Safety

Be Smart Around Electricity: Inside Your Home

Many safety hazards are obvious and can been seen, smelled or heard: that wrinkled rug you could trip on, spoiled food that could make you sick, icy pavement that could cause a nasty fall, or a weather siren announcing an impending tornado.

Electrical hazards, however, are often undetectable. While some you can see, smell or feel, (outlets that are warm to the touch or lights that constantly flicker, for example), many others you cannot.

Claverack and Safe Electricity remind you of these electrical safety tips to keep in mind in and around your home:

Cell phones make strange bedfellows: Do not sleep or lounge in bed with a cell phone or other device that is charging: This can cause burns to your skin or it can cause the soft bedding materials to ignite. This also goes for devices that are warm to the touch but not plugged in.

Do not use cheap chargers: Instead, use the original charging components that came with your cell phone or other electronics. When it comes time to replace them, spend a little extra to buy brand-specific chargers and cubes. Using cheaply made generic chargers with your electronics can cause injury (shock/burns) or even a fire since they may be defective.

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Charging devices and water don’t mix: Do not use a plugged in (charging) cell phone near water. Take a break from your phone while bathing.  Deaths have occurred when a plugged-in cell phone has fallen into the bathtub. DO NOT use plugged in items near water.

Do not overload outlets or circuits. It’s tempting to plug in several items in one outlet or on one circuit, but drawing too much power can damage your electronics or your home’s wiring, or cause more serious problems such as a fire. If too much current is drawn, usually a circuit breaker would trip or fuses would blow, but this is never guaranteed.

Do not use portable heaters unattended or around small children or pets. Do not place flammable items near on a space heater.

Ditch that old electric blanket: Do not use an electric blanket that is 10 years old or older or one that has frayed or visible wires in the blanket itself. Do not use one that has a damaged electrical cord or plug.

Test your GFCI buttons once a month: Put a reminder in your phone or mark it on your calendar each month. GFCIs help prevent ground faults that can shock or injure you, but they can’t do their job if they are not working properly.

Do not ignore odd electrical symptoms in your home. If your lights flicker often, if your outlets are warm to the touch, or if you smell odors like something is overheating but can’t determine where the odors are coming from, there may be problems with your home’s electricals. There might also be a problem if your circuits or fuses need to be tripped or changed often. If you notice any of these symptoms or other unusual electrical oddities in your home, have a qualified electrician assess your home’s electrical system.

Is your home AFCI protected? AFCI stands for arc fault circuit interrupter, and when there is an arc fault, it means that an electrical source in your home is malfunctioning. When that happens, an arc (intense heat or light) can be discharged. Because of that, AFCIs are required by National Electric Code since they help prevent home fires. Have a professional electrician assess your home to make sure AFCIs are installed, especially if your home is older. He or she can also inspect your older home’s wiring to make sure it can handle today’s electrical demands.

Babyproof and childproof your home, including electrical sources. There are many everyday electrical dangers that toddlers and children can tamper with, such as exposed outlets, accessible power strips and surge protectors, and hanging or dangling cords. In addition, little ones like to imitate you, and there have been reports of toddlers trying to plug in the wrong end of a phone charger into the outlet, which can cause severe shocks or burns. Be aware of potential electrical dangers throughout the home. Get down on the floor and see what’s at eye level or within reach.

Tamper-resistant outlets became part of the National Electric Code in 2008, but many homes built before that year do not have them. Make sure all of your outlets are covered (with a plastic plug, for example) so that small children cannot insert foreign objects into the slots.