Get EmPOWERed this Year with an Electrical System Safety Check
It’s the kind of trend you don’t want to follow: residential electrical fires are on the rise and between 2012 and 2021 they jumped 11%, according to statistics tracked by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Another sobering fact about this trend is that it also represents over 2,800 deaths and $8.8 billion dollars in property loss over the same time period. Power outages, burned outlets, and zapped electronic devices are just a few symptoms of a faulty electrical system that can spark a residential home fire, reports the National Fire Protection Association.
We’re not sharing these facts to scare you, but instead to offer a reminder that it may be time to check in on your home’s electrical system. Your local professionals at On Time Electrical are licensed, trained, and ready to conduct a comprehensive inspection. In fact, we’re scheduling many “new year” electrical system safety checks right now. However, there are some things you can look for in the meantime that can expose red flags and we will prioritize your service call.
DIY 10-Point Home Inspection Checklist
1. Visually inspect each outlet in your home: If an outlet looks charred or “blackened”, that means it is sparking and could be close to catching on fire. This is a serious warning sign and needs to be brought to the attention of On Time Electrical experts immediately. Look at other outlets to see how many rooms may be impacted by the damaged circuit.
2. Look for any exposed or frayed wiring: This can be anywhere around a plugged-in device. Scan each room of your home and see if any plugged-in device has compromised wiring at any point along the connection from device to outlet. Pay special attention to any wire that goes behind furniture as it could become pinched or crimped over time. Any outlet box with capped (or worse, frayed) wiring that doesn’t have a cover is especially hazardous and you should buy a cover as soon as possible.
3. Inspect with your “ears and nose”, too: Walk around your home and use your ears and nose to detect any electricity-related damage; hazards such as sparking wires, burnt outlets, and melted plastic all give off a notable odor. If you smell smoke or see a fire, call 911 immediately and evacuate everyone, and all pets, from the home.
4. Visually inspect the power lines around your house: If you see a hanging or downed power line on your property for any reason, do not attempt to touch or move it by yourself. Chances are, the line is still active and you can be electrocuted very easily. Call your local power company to report the downed power line and give them the information they need to send out a crew quickly.
5. Look and listen to your circuit breaker panel: Noise of any kind should be noted and investigated. If it’s humming, buzzing, or crackling that could mean the circuits inside are overloading. If circuits are being overloaded and not shutting off automatically, as they are designed to do, this could result in an electrical panel fire.
6. Take note of any recent power outages: Were they localized to your home? Meaning, did all of your neighbors still have power, but your home did not? When this happens, did you happen to notice if any circuit breakers in your electrical panel were flipped to the “off” position? If circuits are “tripping” more and more, there is a power surge in the system coming from somewhere and that needs to be investigated (much like hearing a crackling sound from the panel as mentioned in #5).
7. Find out why a light is flickering: Flicking or dimming light fixtures during normal use is rarely due to a fault in the fixture. It is more likely to be caused by other appliances attached to the same circuit. An energy-hungry appliance like a heater or washing machine can draw a lot of power. Your On Time Electrical technician can help you better distribute plugged in appliances and devices to balance this power demand
8. Don’t be over-extended on extension cords: This is particularly important right after the holidays when many customers plus extra items in for decorating or entertaining. Make sure you do not have several items plugged into a single multi-socket power strip, even one with a surge protector. Extension cords can be a useful way of temporarily providing power to an appliance, charger or other device, but it’s not the safest remedy for the long run. An extension cord increases the risk of poor connection, twisted cords, and electrical shorting, along with presenting a trip hazard if located near a walkway.
9. Check your GFCI outlets: Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) are electrical devices installed on power outlets that protect appliances from power surges caused by water intrusion or another issue. They are often found in “wet” areas of a home such as kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms.
They are simple to test:
- First, find a small electrical device like a nightlight or even a hair dryer and plug it in.
- Make sure the device works.
- Push the red “test” button on the GFCI outlet.
- The device should stop working.
- Push the black “reset” button to restore power to the outlet.
10. Test your fire and security alarms: Most systems come with a test button or procedure. You can look up your brand’s testing steps online or call the manufacturer for more guidance.
These are the basics of electrical system safety check. Your On Time Electrical professional can conduct a much more comprehensive assessment of your system and recommend the best course of action that will keep you and your family safe. Additionally, our experts are highly-skilled and well-versed in your local electrical codes and they can tell whether or not your home’s electrical system is out of compliance, along with recommending the proper repair to get you back on track.
On Time Electrical customer service is available 24/7 at (704) 820-4803. You can also visit us online anytime at www.itselectriccharlotte.com. Check out our weekly and monthly specials, plus we waive the service call fee on ANY repair! Locally owned and operated, we’re On Time Electrical. It’s electric!
WC: 1,053
Sources:
https://www.usfa.fema.gov/statistics/reports/fire-causes/
https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Top-fire-causes
Short excerpts from previous On Time Electrical blogs
https://kolbelectric.com/blog/electrical-preventive-maintenance
https://www.gocanvas.com/content/blog/post/simple-guide-to-electrical-inspection-checklists/