Easy ways to boost electrical safety in your home

We all know important electricity is. It plays a major role in everyday life. It warms and cools your home, it allows you to heat food and water, and gives you light. But it can also be dangerous, especially if you don’t consciously think about your electrical safety at home.

Being aware of the common signs of an electrical fault and taking some basic electrical safety precautions can help you identify any problems early, and reduce the risk of fire or even injuries from faulty electrical wiring or appliances.7 critical warning signs of a potential electrical problem

Taking notice of and acting on obvious warning signs will increase your electrical safety at home – and that’s something we all want.

• A tingle or minor electric shock occurs when you touch metal fittings in your home, especially taps.
• You receive a shock when using electric appliances or power tools.
• While your lights can often briefly dim when a motor in an appliance such as a refrigerator starts up, you may have an electrical problem if the brightness of your lights varies at other times.
• Discoloured, cracked or melted power point fittings may indicate that the electrical safety in the home is compromised.
• Although it’s usual for power points and light switches to produce a minute flash when they’re turned off, if you observe excessive sparking, it may indicate something is amiss with the wiring.
• Circuit breakers and fuses are designed to increase your electrical safety at home, but if they’re blowing repeatedly, it may be an indication that your home’s electrics aren’t functioning correctly.
• If a toaster, kettle, oven or other household appliance takes longer than usual to work, it could point to an electrical problem.

Simple electrical safety precautions

Boosting electrical safety at home isn’t as hard as you think. Here are some commonsense electrical safety precautions you can apply every day.

• Ensure appliances are regularly cleaned to prevent a build-up of dirt and grease that can adversely affect their electrical function.
• Before removing a plug from a power outlet, always turn off the appliance first. Never pull a plug out by the cord, hold the plug firmly when removing it.
• Piggybacking plugs can dangerously overload a power outlet and risk your electrical safety at home. If you have more plugs than power outlets, use a power board or have a licensed Melbourne electrician (like us) install extra power outlets.
• When using extension cords, ensure they are fully unwound to prevent overheating, and protect them from water and exposure to weather.

You can also reduce the likelihood of an electrical fault occurring by regular cleaning and maintenance of your electrical appliances.

Professional electrical Safety audits

If you have experienced an obvious electrical safety warning sign, or are concerned about other aspects of electrical safety in the home, contact us at Electricians Today.

One of our licensed Melbourne electricians can do a thorough safety audit on your home, and provide you with a report and recommendations for boosting your electrical safety at home.

If you’re looking for advice or help from a Melbourne electrician with a great reputation call us on 1800 981 993 or visit www.electricianstoday.com.au.1800 981 993 for advice.