For the most part, electrical safety tips are the same, no matter what the season. Still, as our daily habits change from one to the next, it’s always a good idea to place added focus on those electrical safety measures bound to do the most good.

Here are several we recommend for your family.

  1. Check outlets for loose plugs, which can overheat and cause a fire.
  2. Test GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets to ensure they reset properly after you’ve pressed the test button.
  3. If you have young children at home, make sure unused outlets have safety covers installed.
  4. If you are frequently resetting circuit breakers, call an electrician to inspect the circuit and upgrade the electrical panel if necessary.
  5. Make sure electrical cords are in good condition. Never use tape to fix a damaged electrical cord; instead, you need to replace it.
  6. Don’t overuse extension cords as they were never meant to be a permanent solution in the first place. If you have in constant use, it’s a good indication your home can benefit from more outlets.
  7. When it comes to extension cords, you also don’t want to place them under rugs or anywhere else people can walk on them. That will hasten their deterioration and could eventually lead to an electrical fire.
  8. Test smoke detectors and CO detectors and replace batteries as needed.
  9. Check the wattage of light bulbs to ensure they match the size specified for the fixture.

Here’s another piece of advice. If your home was built in the mid 1970’s, there’s a good chance it has aluminum wiring. At that time aluminum surpassed copper in popularity mostly because it was cheaper, thus yielding higher profits to builders.

What the building industry and homeowners learned in a hurry was that aluminum wiring, while not inherently dangerous, is more likely to start a house fire than copper due to poor-quality connectors. These are prone to oxidize from the use of dissimilar metals in the copper and aluminum connections. Oxidation, in turn, weakens the connection thus creating the potential for electrical fire.

To ensure your home is wired for maximum safety and today’s electric usage demands, contact Excel Electric today to schedule a whole-house electrical wiring and safety inspection. There’s no greater peace of mind than being sure.