It takes effort and proactivity to ensure that your Gainesville, FL home is a safe, comfortable haven for yourself and your family. One important aspect of maintaining your home safety is taking measures to prevent electrical hazards. Although you may not think about it often, your house is filled with electrical components, all of which can create potential safety issues for you and your loved ones. However, as long as you’re a responsible homeowner, you can greatly reduce the likelihood of any dangerous electrical issues occurring.
Most Common Electrical Safety Hazards
The first step toward preventing electrical hazards is becoming aware of them. Once you understand the most common electrical problems that may arise in your home, you can start taking prudent actions to prevent them. Here, we’ll take a look at a few of the most common electrical safety hazards for homes in the greater Gainesville area.
1. Old or Faulty Wiring
Several of the most common electrical hazards in Gainesville homes relate directly to wiring. If any of the wiring in your house is outdated or in poor condition, it can greatly increase the risk of a safety hazard. If wiring that’s old or damaged is left unchecked for a prolonged period, there’s a strong possibility that it will cause an electrical fire.
The best way to keep your home’s wiring in good condition is to regularly schedule electrical inspections. In the Gainesville area, you can always count on the skilled electricians at Mister Sparky to thoroughly inspect your wiring setup and identify any hazards. Generally, it’s wise to schedule a comprehensive electrical inspection at least once every few years. However, if the wiring in your home is more than 30 years old, it’s best to schedule an inspection annually. Additionally, if you notice any frayed or otherwise damaged wiring in your home, you should contact a local electrician immediately.
2. Arc Faults
An arc fault is an electrical hazard that occurs when wires or other electrical connections make accidental contact. As a result, the electrical current will flow along an unplanned path, resulting in extremely high temperatures. As a result, any materials in the area can potentially ignite, leading to an electrical fire in your home.
Arc faults are most common with very old wiring. It can also occur as a result of wiring that has been chewed on by rodents or otherwise damaged. Keeping your home’s wiring in good condition can help you avoid arc faults, as can investing in an arc-fault circuit interrupter. If you have one of these devices, it will automatically cut off the power to the electrical circuit in the event of an arc fault. Ideally, you should have an arc-fault circuit interrupter for every circuit in your house.
3. Overloaded Outlets
We all use outlets and power strips in our homes, but we aren’t always careful about using them safely. Every outlet in your home can only handle a certain number of amps, and if you plug too many devices into one outlet through the use of one or more power strips, it can overload the outlet. An overloaded outlet can lead to various problems, including electrical short circuits, the outlet becoming very hot, or even electrical fires. Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to avoid overloading your outlets. As long as you refrain from plugging too many things into one outlet and unplug anything you aren’t using, your outlets should remain functional and hazard-free.
4. Incorrect Light Bulb Wattage
Whenever you purchase a new light bulb for your home, it’s essential to confirm that the bulb is the correct wattage. If you install a light bulb that has a wattage too high for the lamp, it can overload the wiring of the lamp, which can lead to an electrical fire. Generally, every lamp in your home will have its maximum wattage printed on its socket. Make sure that any light bulb you use has a wattage that’s lower than or equal to the maximum wattage of the lamp.
5. Unprotected Outlets
It’s always a wise choice to keep the outlets in your home protected—especially if you have small children. If your electrical outlets don’t have covers, it’s possible for fingers or small objects to end up inside of them. This can create a serious safety hazard for your kids, as sticking things in an outlet can lead to burns, shocks, or electrocution. The easiest way to protect your outlets is by simply purchasing plastic outlet covers. Alternatively, you can hire skilled electricians to install special tamper-resistant outlets in your house, which will help you avoid any safety risks.
Your Trusted Electricians in Gainesville
If you’d like to schedule an electrical inspection or need help dealing with a potential electrical safety hazard in your home, you can always count on the expert electricians at Mister Sparky. The friendly team at Mister Sparky will be happy to assist you in keeping your Gainesville home as safe as possible for you and your family.