It’s Electrical Safety Month!  Every May, companies across the US work to raise awareness on what you should be doing to keep your home safe.  Our homes are full of electrical devices, and electricity is a part of our lives, to the point that we don’t ever stop to think about how it works or what we should be doing to keep our homes maintained and up to code as new safety issues are discovered.  So this month, let’s take some time to reacquaint ourselves with the things we should be doing to keep out homes safe.

Wiring and Heating

While most people think that electrical shocks are the most obvious danger from electricity, fires are far more common as a cause for concern.  Bad wiring, outdated devices, and damaged insulation can all lead to electrical fires.  This is why we recommend keeping your smoke and fire alarms in good repair, as the best defense against an electrical fire in progress is an early warning.

But why the concern?  Well, electrical fires are amazingly easy to start.  Runaway conditions, where too much power is being consumed by a circuit can increase heat on the circuit.  Because of the physical properties of metal and conductance, this heat adjusts the resistance of the wire, leading to increased load and even more heat until the temperature spirals out of control and starts a fire in nearby insulation.  While your circuit breaker is designed to prevent this, it’s better to not put your breaker in the position of having to control a trip.

Extension Cords – Never use more than one extension cord and never use a high-load device with a non-utility extension cord.  Always keep cords as short as possible to avoid overloading the system.  Use them sparingly and if the cord feels hot or your breaker trips, get a shorter cord or a thicker wire.

High-Load Appliances – Placing multiple high-load devices on a single circuit can lead to a breaker trip.  If your breakers continue to trip every time you run a hair dryer or the microwave, consider switching some items to a different circuit to prevent the trip.

Damaged Breaker – If your circuit breaker trips regularly, it may be time for repair.  Any circuit breaker that trips during regular operation and will not stay set is likely defective.  Always call a professional electrician for any electrical panel or circuit breaker work.  The breaker box is important for the safety of your home and family and it’s not something that should be taken lightly with a quick home fix.

Lighting and Insulation

A common upgrade people make for their homes is in the installation of recessed lighting.  These lights give the feeling of more space in a room without sacrificing light.  Many people do their best to install those lights themselves as it seems, at first, to be a fairly simple task of cutting, fastening, and running wire.  Unfortunately, lighting is one of those deceptively simple projects that can be disastrous if done incorrectly.  Insulation is designed to hold warmth at bay.  As you install your lights, you need to be cautious of what type of housing you’re using.  Some lights are rated for contact with insulation while others aren’t.  Recessed light housings that aren’t rated for insulation contact must have clearance around the housing.  They need this space to be able to properly radiate heat, otherwise the insulation can catch fire.

Similar concerns exist with wiring as expressed previously.  Lighting requires a lot of energy, and even the power from LED lights can add up over time.  If any light switches (or outlets for that matter) in your home feel hot to the touch, you’ve overvolted the circuit and should remove some lights or step down the amount of power traveling through the circuit.

For the best in quality electrical repair work and installations, contact the professionals at Custom Electric!  Be sure to check back here each week for helpful advice, news, and guides or follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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