You may not think about it, but the electricity in your home is quite a powerful energy source. While it can do everything from heat your food to provide entertainment, it’s wise to remember that electricity isn’t something to treat casually. Luckily, most modern homes are equipped to keep you safe from electrical shocks and fires, but nothing is foolproof. To better improve your home’s security, we’ll cover some electrical safety tips to keep your home comfortable and safe with just a few simple practices.
Is DIY Electrical Work Safe?
Unfortunately, even “small” electrical issues are best left in the hands of the professionals. Electrical work can quickly become dangerous for both yourself and your home, whether from the risk of fire or electrical shock. Electricians are specifically licensed to work with wires, electricity, and home power systems safely. For everyone’s safety and to avoid home damage, only trained professionals should handle electrical work.
8 Electrical Safety Tips for Your Home
Even if you don’t do any electrical work yourself, there are certain electrical safety tips you should know to better protect your home. Here are our top ten tips for electrical safety in your own home.
1. Have a Plan for Electrical Fires
On average, there are 51,000 electrical home fires every year, and they account for about 500 deaths each year as well. While you hope these fires never occur in your home, it’s best to have a plan in place in case something ever does occur.
If you notice an electrical fire in your home, here are the steps you should take:
Stay calm. Panic will only make the situation worse.
Assess the size of the fire. If it’s too large for you to control, evacuate the home and call 911. Otherwise, continue with our other steps.
Cut the power to the device that started the fire. The safest way to do this is to turn off the switch to the area in the breaker box.
Smother the fire. You can use a fire extinguisher, baking soda, or even a blanket made to put out fires to choke it of oxygen. NEVER throw water on an electrical fire.
If the fire goes out, call an electrician to come out and check the device. They’ll be able to tell you if the device is unsalvageable/unsafe, or if it can be fixed. If the fire doesn’t go out and continues to grow, evacuate the home and call 911.
2. Know Your Breaker Box
One of the few DIY electrical fixes you can do for your home is to use your breaker box. Your breaker box is the central hub of your home’s electricity and can quickly turn off power or reset power to an area of your home with a simple flip of the switch. So if you’re noticing the beginning signs of an electrical issue (sparks, smoke, overheating devices, burning smell, etc.), you can use your breaker box to cut power to that area of the home and stop a fire before it begins.
Your breaker box also protects you during times of a power surge. For example, if your home is hit by lightning, you may notice one or more areas of your home lose power, and the breaker switch is flipped to “off.” You can restore power to your home by switching it back on. However, if you notice your breaker continues to trip (turns off an area of your home), it’s time to call an electrician to find the root of the issue.
3. Mind the Watts
One of the most common mistakes people make with electrical safety is overloading an outlet. Most homes are equipped with circuit breakers, and a majority of appliances are designed to have the proper wattage for the average American household. But you’ll want to ensure that your home can handle the wattage of any new device you bring into your home. It’s also best practice not to overload a single outlet with high-wattage appliances. For example, if your microwave is already taking up an outlet, it may be best to find another outlet for your air fryer or toaster.
4. Use Extension Cords Sparingly
Another common mistake we see is the overuse of extension cords. Extension cords can be useful, and they allow you to customize where outlets are and how many you have. But you do have to be careful with these tools. You’re not increasing the outlet’s power by using extension cords—only the number of outlets. So, like we mentioned in the point above, you don’t want to overload a single outlet.
Best practice is to buy an extension cord with power surge protection built into it, protecting you and your home in case there is an overload of electricity. Also, never plug an extension cord into an extension cord—this puts you at a much higher risk of a power surge or even an electrical fire.
5. Avoid Water
While it could be considered common knowledge, it is worth noting that the best thing you can do to protect your home from electrical issues is to avoid electricity and water. The most common areas where this risk arises are in the bathroom and the kitchen. Make sure that if you’re using any electrical device, the area is dry and water sources are turned off. While surge protectors can prevent some electrical shocks, the risk of water and electricity is too high to take lightly.
6. Replace Damaged Cords
You may think that your fraying charging cord is fine if it still charges your phone, but we recommend that you replace any and all frayed or damaged cords. Even if the cord is still working, you have an increased risk of an electric shock or fire starting in your home. And this applies to more than just charging cables—anytime you see a damaged or fraying wire in your home, it’s time to buy a replacement to protect your safety.
7. Unplug Unused Devices
A small way you can improve your electrical safety is by simply unplugging any unused devices. You can do this with everyday devices—for example, you can unplug your coffee machine when you’re done making yourself a cup in the morning or afternoon.
It’s also wise to do this when you’re leaving for a long vacation. Unplugging devices before leaving your home for a while can help reduce the chance of fire and give you some peace of mind. Plus, this practice has the added benefit of saving you some money—some statistics find that you can save as much as $100 a year by just unplugging your unused devices.
8. Have a Professional Inspection
Lastly, the best thing you can do for your home’s electrical safety is to schedule a professional inspection at least once a year. A professional will be able to spot any issues in your home’s electrical system before it becomes a risk to your safety. They may even be able to suggest upgrades to your home, such as a generator or new wiring practices, that help increase your safety and comfort. Yearly inspections are recommended; however, you may want more frequent inspections depending on any issues you’ve noticed or planned home improvements.
Keep Your Home Safe & Functional with Holly Electric
Whether you’ve been following all these tips for years or this is your first time learning about some of them, it’s never too late to create a safer environment for your home. At Holly Electric, we help our customers fix any electrical problems they’re currently experiencing and prevent future ones through our thorough inspections. If you’re looking to upgrade your home’s electrical systems, request a quote from our team today—what we say is what you pay