When you purchase your own home it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of being a homeowner. Unfortunately, like most things in life, it comes with certain responsibilities.
You have the ability to adjust your house in many ways to suit your own lifestyle and future vision. But, you must always remember that there are several elements of your house which can be a danger to you and others. Your electrical system is perhaps the most dangerous and probably the first one you’ll think of.
Maintaining the system through a qualified firm, such as Tiger Electrical is essential. This will reduce the risk of injury happening to you, your family or even your neighbours. Faulty electrics can give nasty electric shocks and start fires.
That’s why you need to be aware of these top 7 electrical safety tips:
1. Age
You need to find out how old your home is and then compare the electrical wiring components of the house to those when it was created. This will help you to age the electrics and decide how old they are.
Old cables will start to disintegrate; leaving the wires exposed which can cause shocks and fires.
2. Check Your Switches
You should have circuit breaker, also referred to as trip switches fitted to your home. These will trip out in less than a second if you have an issue. But, even some if these can be faulty.
Test yours by feeling it; it should never get warm; if it does it needs replacing.
3. Breakers
If a breaker keeps tripping then there is a problem with the circuit. Get it checked and sorted sooner rather than later. If you don’t know what the issue is you don’t know how much damage it could cause.
4. Fire Extinguishers
If you have an electrical fire you may wish to put it out before it gets too big and beyond your control. However, the only effective way to do this is using a chemical fire extinguisher. A water extinguisher will simply create more electrical issues.
Check the fire extinguisher you have at home and make sure it is chemical retardant. You should also verify the pressure is correct and that the extinguisher is inspected on an annual basis.
5. Sockets
Just as your fuse box can get warm although it shouldn’t; you should also check your sockets. If they are warm or loose then they need to be looked at further. It is best to avoid using them until you have got the issue sorted.
6. Lights
If you’re lights flicker regularly then you have another potential issue. Lighting circuits can be complex as the wires run back and forth to a switch and even multiple switches.
Flickering lights can mean a loose wire or a short in the circuit; it needs to be checked.
7. Appliance Grounding
Finally it is worth looking at the appliances you use. Older ones may not have an earth point built into them. Earths are designed to remove the electricity if there is a short. Without one it will be you getting the shock.
If you have unearthed older appliances add an earth or replace the appliance.
