Electricity is a necessity in a home but can be hazardous. Electricity runs throughout your whole house so that with a flick of the switch light turns on or you can easily plug in your phone. There are dangers to electricity that you should be aware of to prevent electrical shock. As electrical hazards are common at home and need to be prevented.
An electrical hazard is a dangerous occurrence that happens when there is an equipment failure or bad connection with a plug that can result in an electrical shock. These electrical shocks can harm you, and your family, or start a fire in your home. Electrical hazards are common and something to look out for.
Bad wiring in a home is one of the biggest dangers of electricity. Attempting to wire electrical cords by yourself with no prior experience or hiring untrustworthy electricians can both result in bad wiring. Bad wiring can include wires connected to the wrong wire, exposed wires, or wires that have been left when they should have been taken out.
You will easily be able to tell if there is bad wiring because your lights may flicker, your fuzzes may go out constantly, there are buzzing sounds, or sparking. You’ll want to find experts in electricity wiring so they can prevent this electrical hazard.
A damaged or multiple damaged extension cords are hazards at home. Exposed wiring from an extension cord has the potential to encounter water or other metals that can create a deadly shock or start a fire.
These cords should be replaced as soon as possible, or you may want to turn off that specific area of electrical flow to prevent an electrical shock from happening.
Some try to duct tape the exposed wires and forget about it, but with the duct tape it is still an electrical hazard. Extension cords are cheap and getting a new one would prevent electrical shock. Keeping your family and home safe is more important that trying to take your chances with duct tape.
This electrical hazard is easy to overlook since it doesn’t appear to be dangerous. However, water can get into outlets in the kitchen, bathroom, and other vulnerable places. If you had a leak somewhere in your home and didn’t know, the water could mix with an exposed cord and cause a fire.
This is preventable by being aware of where your outlets are in the kitchen, bathroom, or other vulnerable places in your home. Also be aware of where your appliances or other small devices such as a hire dryer are when they are plugged in. If you suspect a leak in your home, get someone there as quickly as possible to check it out.
Cords are ugly to see in your home but covering them is another home electrical hazard. Putting rugs, blankets, or furniture over cords may cause them to overheat. Overheating can lead to electrical shock which can lead to a fire.
To prevent overheating, you should ensure all the cords in your home have space to ventilate. Giving the cords room to breathe will prevent an electrical shock. If you want to hide them, you may want to invest in a safe cover for the cords that allow for proper veneration. That way your home can look cord-free and be safe.
One of the biggest electrical hazards at home is young children. They do not understand the dangers of electricity as well as you do. Cases of children sticking objects into outlets are not uncommon. They could cause an electrical shock to themselves or cause an electrical shock to others.
Covering outlets when you have young children or have guests with young children is a measure you should take to prevent an electrical shock. Along with trying to keep young children away from outlets.
There are several home safety tips that you can follow to prevent the electrical hazards listed above and other potential electrical hazards at home. Following these home safety tips will keep your home and family safe from electrical hazards.
If all your electronics are in one spot it may be tempting to plug a multi-outlet into a wall outlet, then use every multi-outlet plug. If you need to use all of the outlets on the plug, try to make sure the electronics plugged in do not need a large amount of electricity.
For example, avoid plugging big kitchen appliances into one multi-outlet because this can be an electrical hazard.
If you aren’t using something, unplug it. It is a simple way to prevent electrical hazards at home. Your toaster does not need to be plugged in 24/7 if you only use it for 10 minutes in the morning.
You should also unplug whatever you can when you go on vacation or leave home for an extended period of time. It will give you peace of mind and prevent an electrical shock.
An easy home safety tip that prevents electrical hazards is to follow instructions for all your appliances. This way you can be certain an electrical shock does not occur.
Some electrical appliances require a certain type of wattage. Lamps and other lights usually have a specified wattage that the light bulb needs to be. Buying and plugging in the correct light bulb is another good home safety tip.
Electricity is generally not a scary subject, but it can be. Sometimes bad wiring will be out of your control, or you may forget to unplug an appliance after you’ve already left. Remembering these five hazards and some home safety tips will help you feel more comfortable with the electricity in your home. Luckily as technology progresses, fewer cords will be needed which will make it easier to prevent electrical hazards at home.
