Do you know and respect these electrical safety tips?
Here is the scoop on electrical fires.
Did you know that the National Fire Protection Association reports that electrical cords and temporary wiring are responsible for more than 21,000 fires a year.
In fact they report that it makes up more than 25% of the approximately 81,000 electrical system fires that occur each year.
Since electrical fires pose such a safety risk, what can we do to protect ourselves and families?
Here are a few electrical safety tips…
Lets talk about extension cords
Is it safe to run extension cords under rugs and inside walls?
The answer is NEVER.
PLEASE don’t use extension cords as a substitute for repairing or installing building wiring.
EVER.
Here are a few more tips.
- Inspect your extension cords for broken pieces, cracked or damaged insulation before using them. Replace them immediately.
- Beware of running cords through doorways. Closed doors create damaged cords.
- Rocking chairs can damage electrical cords. Reroute them accordingly.
- Don’t be tempted to tape damaged cords. Please replace them immediately.
- All extension cords are not created equally. Make sure you match the cord to the size of the the device you are using.
- Only use extension cords that are a MINIMUM of size 14 or 12. (By the way a #12 extension cord is a heavier cord than a #14 gauge.)
- Never use an extension cord on a portable heater.
- Be sure to use extension cords with ground fault interruption (GFI) devices when working outside or near water. Remember that electricity and water don’t mix! GFCI devices will save your life.
Temporary wiring
Temporary wiring should only be installed by licensed professional electricians.
What is the purpose of temporary wiring?
- Temporary lighting for a construction project
- Temporary lighting for the holidays
- Temporary power to operate tools during construction
- Temporary repair that will be fixed quickly
Temporary wiring is not OK to use in any other situation.
Now you can see why its important to use a REAL electrician.
In fact all wiring should only be done by a certified professional electrician.
- Please don’t be tempted to use temporary and flexible wiring for repairing building wiring.
- Do not leave holiday or ornamental lighting up year round.
- Make sure that all outdoor temporary wiring and extension cords are GFCI protected.
- Never run temporary wiring across floors, around doors or through walls.
- Mount temporary wiring at least 7 feet above any walking or working area so that it can’t be damaged.
- Always protect temporary wiring from sharp objects.
Final words on electrical safety in your home
- Take the time to label all your circuit breakers.
- Never work on a “live” circuit.
- Use a lock out device to prevent accidentally turning on a breaker while working on a circuit.
- Always unplug a device before trying to fix or maintain it.
- Don’t block access to electrical panels.
- If you have a fuse panel, always use the correct size fuse. Never ever be tempted to use a penny. Remember pennies burn buildings down.
We hope that these electrical safety tips will help you.
Since old wiring and temporary wiring can cause fire, damage and death, it doesn’t come as a surprise that you will get a home insurance discount when updating your homes wiring system.
Feel free to reach out to your local insurancehub.com representative to ask any questions you have about your home insurance policy and electrical safety.
Source: http://www.nationwide.com/electrical-safety-tips.jsp