While you want your home to be the safest place for your family, there can be areas of your home that actually put your family in more danger than you’d probably like to think. Because many people spend quite a bit of their time at home, especially families with children, the majority of illnesses or injuries will take place here. And while you can’t avoid them all, you can do things to make your home a safer place to be. To help you do this, here are three ways you can help to prevent electrical fires at your home.
Get Your Electrical Inspected
If you have a recently built home, this may not be as big of an issue for you. But if your home was built a few decades ago, you may need to get your electrical inspected by a trained professional to ensure that everything’s up to code and running how it should. According to Pat Curry, a contributor to House Logic, home electrical systems only last for about 30 to 40 years. That means if your home is older than that and hasn’t had the electrical systems updated or at least looked at, you’re putting your home and family in danger. So to ensure that you’re being safe about your electrical use, you may want to consider getting your electrical inspected if you currently live in an older home.
Safely Use Your Plugs
Some of your family’s electrical habits could be putting your home in danger of having an electrical fire. Especially if you have children, it’s good to teach them how to properly use the outlets around your home. According to SafeElectricity.org, you should never force a plug into an outlet or try to remove the third prong so a plug will fit in a two-pronged outlet. Additionally, you shouldn’t be using power strips or extension cords on a regular basis. These items are meant to just be temporary. Using these too often can put undue stress on that outlet and cause an electrical fire to start.
Replace Damaged Cords
If ever notice that an electrical cord is damaged in any way, don’t use it. According to Diana Bocco, a contributor to Angie’s List, cords that are used when in poor condition could cause sparks or heat that could result in an electrical fire. For many appliances, you can find replacement cords. But if you can’t, it’s going to be much safer for your family to just replace whatever it is that the frayed or damaged cord attaches to.
To help keep your home and family as safe as possible, consider using the tips mentioned above to help prevent electrical fires from starting on your property.
