Electrical fires have become one of the rising causes of fatalities and economic damage to homes throughout the United States.
Within Massachusetts alone, 13% of all deaths from fire outbreaks were caused by electrical fires, with 61,000 instances of electrical fires and economic costs of over $2 billion.
Now, more than ever, we need to focus on promoting electrical safety protocols and lifestyle changes that can reduce the frequency of electrical fires.
Most electrical fires are easily prevented, if only we’re a little careful with the way we manage electrical malfunctions in the house. A little safety and care can go a long way to prevent loss of life and thousands of dollars in damages throughout the state. Ideally, your electrical safety plan should include the following:
1. Always Call in the Professionals
A lot of electrical malfunctions are put down to shoddy electrical work, either because the homeowner decided to DIY or called in novice electricians.
Unless you’re a trained electrician, it’s unlikely that you know electrical safety codes and unlikelier still that you could follow them. A lot of people leave wiring exposed, forget to properly insulate connections or misdiagnose the problem altogether.
Always make sure to call electricians to mitigate the risk of electrical fires who know how to handle your circuitry. Remember to check license numbers and ask for proof of qualifications before you hire them to work for you.
2. Never Overload Your Circuits
When you overburden your circuits to deliver more power than they can deliver, you’ll overheat the wiring to either completely blow your circuits or burn through the insulation. In either case, the arcing sparks are a serious fire hazard that can escalate into full scale electrical wire.
One of the best ways to prevent overloading circuits is updating your circuits at regular intervals or at least bring someone in for routine maintenance. They can check if your circuits are working properly and correct any potential faults if they find them. You should also try to distribute appliances across different outlets in the house to keep the burden off of one particular section of the circuitry.
3. Install GFCIs and Power Surge Protection
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) are a special type of circuit breakers that can cut off connections in 1/40th of a second. They’re really sensitive pieces of electrical equipment that are designed to rapidly respond to even the slightest abnormality in the current flowing through the circuit.
It’s advised that you install GFCIs in outlets that are close to water sources so that any leaks or water exposure can’t blow out the electrical panels.
You should also consider investing in power surge protection to keep your electronics safe from power surges. This is particularly important when preparing for the power outages during storm season, where blackouts cause power surges that can burn out your appliances.
Looking for Reliable Electricians in Wilmington, MA?
You should call up the electricians over at Integrity Electrical Services to get your circuit panels repaired and upgraded.
We’re a 24-hour emergency electrician service provider in Wilmington, MA, offering a wide range of services including electrical panel upgrades, lighting and ceiling fan installations as well as home inspections. Call us today for more information.