Experiencing an electrical fire in your home or business can be devastating. Thousands of fires happen each year in the United States. The most heartbreaking part of the entire thing is that most of the time, the problem could have been avoided with the right knowledge on how to keep your home or business safe from electrical fires. Believe it or not, the two months that the most residential electrical fires take place is December and January due to the increase in electrical usage with lights and other holiday décor. Burley Electrical Services is here to talk about some of the most common causes of electrical fires in hopes that you can avoid them in your or business.
Faulty Appliances & Electrical Cords
One of the biggest culprits that tend to start electrical fires is faulty appliances and cords. If you have an incredibly old appliance that is showing signs of issues like a frayed cord or other signs, don’t use it. You should never use an extension cord to plug in an appliance just so that you can plug it into a two prong outlet either. This means the outlet likely doesn’t have the ability to handle the extra amount of energy needed to power the appliance and could become a fire hazard.
What Happens when You Put a Higher Watt Light Bulb?
When you are replacing light bulbs in light fixtures or lamps, be sure you are using the right wattage. Using a higher wattage than a light fixture can handle is the leading cause of residential electrical fires. Another common cause of fire with light fixtures and lamps is a cloth covering a lamp. You should never cover a lamp with anything other than a lampshade that is designed to the heat.
Long Term Extension Cord Use
Extension cords are always only meant to be used temporarily. They are not meant to be a permanent fixture in your home. If you don’t have the right outlet for an appliance or tool you are using, don’t use an extension cord as a way around this. Those need to be plugged directly into an outlet. If you need an extension cord so an appliance will reach the outlet, you need to have more outlets installed in your home.
Electric Space Heater Fires
Space heaters are handy because you can put them wherever you feel you need more heat. However, if you have left them unattended or they have been knocked over, they have been known to be the cause of residential electrical fires. Using a radiator type space heater is much safer than the ones that have open, hot heating coils.
Electrical Inspection Services & More in Imperial Point, Pompano Beach, Plantation, Deerfield Beach, Boca Raton, Davie, Lighthouse Point, Parkland, Fort Lauderdale & South Florida
It is important that your electrical system is comprised of safe wiring that is up to code. Having a routine electrical inspection performed on your home by the professionals at Burley Electric Services will be the best way to stay on top of this issues. They have the training and skills needed to ensure your electrical system is up to code and that you have no faulty or outdated wiring in your home or business. Call us today!
