8 Dangerous Home Electrical Hazards

Do you know that there can be dangerous electrical hazards hiding inside your home?

Can you do anything to keep your family members safe from them?

Electricity has brought convenience to humanity, however, there are also hazards associated with it, which we shouldn’t ignore. Let’s read on to learn more about it.

8 Dangerous home electrical hazards

Be aware of these dangerous home electrical hazards so you can fix and avoid them from harming your family.

Faulty and defective electrical wirings

Faulty and defective electrical wirings can easily cause fire, arc faults, and electrical surges.

Given these, it’s important to hire a qualified electrician to regularly check and ensure your wirings are in good condition. They are trained to detect possible electrical issues that can put your family at risk and fix it right away.

Other hazards that are related to electrical wirings are:

• Defective appliances
• Overheated wire cords
• Wires chewed by rodents
• Cracked or open wiring insulations
• Improper electrical connections
• Worn out extensions cords
• Pinched wires

Should you see any electrical wiring issues, it’ll be best to refrain from doing it yourself and call a licensed electrician to handle the job for you. This way, you can ensure that your electrical issues are in the hands of a professional. You’ll also be able to avoid getting hurt from accidentally getting in contact with open wires.

Powerboards and extension cords

No matter what age or style of house you have, you may not have had enough power points installed, and most likely you are using an extension cord around your home. This is considered as one of the dangerous electrical hazards in the home.

You might trip over it and hurt yourself. It’s also prone to overloading and overheating if you are using it with more than 2 appliances at once. Extension and powerboards are not permanent solutions or an alternative for an additional power source. There’s a high chance of electrical overloading on these things.

If you need additional outlets in certain areas of your home, it’ll be best to talk to your local electrician and let them properly install additional outlets for you.

Covered electrical wirings

Covered electrical wirings are prone to overheating and can result in an electrical fire. Keep your cords free and away from things that cover them and cause overheating. Make sure they’re clutter-free with proper air circulation.

Lightbulbs

You might be surprised to read lightbulbs as one of the dangerous home electrical hazards; But, unfortunately, improper placement of lightbulbs, such as lamps are hazardous for your home. Lightbulbs that are near flammable materials such as drapes, plastics, and upholstery can cause a fire.

Make sure to check the placement of your lightbulbs to avoid this. Should you need to replace a lightbulb, be sure to turn off the switch first so you won’t get electrocuted. Keep in mind to also use the correct wattage to prevent chances of overheating and blowing up of lightbulbs.

Outlets installed near water areas

Outlets installed in areas where water is present such as the following are also a dangerous home electrical hazard.

• Bathroom
• Kitchen
• Laundry

Outlets in these areas must be placed with a safe distance, far away, as much as possible form the water source. Water is a good electricity conductor. To avoid electric shocks, make sure to keep outlets away from water sources.

Wet hands

You should never handle any electrical appliances, electrical wirings, electrical cords, and electrical outlets with wet hands. Remember, people are electrical conductors, same with water. So holding any electrical items with a wet hand is dangerous. It can only heighten your chances of getting electrical shocks.

Young children

Young children such as toddlers and babies are great explorers. Therefore, their possibility of exploring your outlets is real. For this reason, taking extra safety measures is a must to protect them.

It’ll be best to put a cover on electrical outlets that are within their reach. You may also put away extension cords from their sight. This way, you can protect them from getting injured.

Water on electrical fires

Water on electrical fires is a big NO NO. If you’re thinking that electrical fire is the same with flaming fire, they’re not. Water is a good electrical conductor, so using water to put out electrical fires will only worsen the situation. The electricity may also run to you as we’re also an electrical conductor and electrocute you.

So, in case an electrical fire happens, keep in mind not to use water on it. Instead, use a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. However, if you don’t have one in your home, it’ll be best to shut off your electrical power, go out of the house and call the fire department immediately.

CONCLUSION

Want to make your family safer from these dangerous home electrical hazards? Install a safety switch or a residual current device (RCD) at your home. However, refrain from doing these on your own. It’s both dangerous and illegal. Rather, call a licensed electrician to do it for you.

If you see any of these electrical hazards at your home, call an electrician to fix them immediately. Don’t just sit there and wait for a family member getting electrocuted before acting upon it. Call us now and we’ll help you.