Not a single day would go by without you using an electrical appliance at home. Since they are so common and using them would feel like second nature, people tend to forget the electrical risks associated with using the appliances carelessly. Here are some tips to maintain electrical safety at home and minimize the associated risks.

• Update Aging Electrical Appliances

Check the age of your electrical appliances and electrical panels. When they age, the wiring gets frayed, there will be overheating issues and the components will get worn out. These factors are responsible for increasing the risk of electrocution and electrical fires in your home. These signs may also indicate that the appliances would run less efficiently than they are designed to. The issue will amplify if the appliances do not receive routine maintenance over an extended period of time.

You must conduct timely repairs and service the appliances regularly as it will ensure that your appliances run efficiently for a long time without presenting any risk of an accident. If you want to limit the energy wastage even more, consider upgrading the appliance with a new, Energy Star-rated model. Not only will it help you save money but assure you that the new appliance operates safely for many years.

• Consolidate Webs of Extension Cords

Are electrical wire and cables running haphazardly on the floor or behind the furniture at your home? If yes, then the risk of electrical fires will go up. You can take preventive measures to make your home more energy-friendly and safe.

Swap out multiple extension cords with a single power strip. This will ensure that the room doesn’t consist of crisscrossed wires and people don’t trip on them. At the same time, the power strip will also ensure that the outlets do not get overloaded and affect the energy efficiency.

Invest in power strips that have a surge protector as it will further limit the chances of a house fire. Be aware of appliances that continue to drain electricity even when they are turned off. You can corral such appliances to their own surge protector as it will make it easy to cut off the low-key energy wasters at the source.

• Investigate Light Flickering

If the lights flicker a lot, it indicates that there is an electrical issue. Generally, loose wiring splices, worn light fixtures and deterioration of light fixtures are responsible for the inconsistent flow of power and such wiring types need to be replaced.

Apart from interrupted power flow, flickering lights also indicate that the wiring setup within the house may need repair. Consider all the possible solutions that you can implement in order to protect your home and family from combustible consequences of wiring failure in the future.

• Focus on the Outdoors

Don’t just focus on the wiring inside the house. It is equally important to place attention on outdoor electrical safety as numerous electrical hazards can be found outside the house too. Here are some ways to ensure safety outdoors:

• Prune the trees away from the power lines overhead
• Avoid flying model aircrafts, kites or balloons near the power lines
• Avoid swimming or playing in water during an electrical storm, even if there is no rain
• Don’t approach a downed power line to determine if it’s live or not, because even if it looks ‘dead’ it may be live and extremely dangerous. If you have a downed line, call the concerned authorities.
• Inspect the surrounding areas carefully when you use a ladder or construction electrical products to ensure that they are free from power lines.

Don’t take electrical safety lightly! Instill safe electrical habits amongst your family members — you won’t lose sleep over their safety.

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Author Bio: Jeson Pitt works with the marketing department of D&F Liquidators and regularly writes to share his knowledge while enlightening people about electrical products and solving their electrical dilemmas. He's got the industry insights that you can count on along with years of experience in the field. Jeson lives in Hayward, CA and loves to explore different cuisines that the food trucks in the Bay area have to offer.