The last thing you need is an electrical outage or malfunction putting a damper on your holidays. Make sure your holidays are safe and free of any electrical problems by following this guide by the pros at Roman Electric. Below are some essential safety tips for your home that your entire household should follow!
1. Make Sure You’re Using GFCI Outlets
GFCIs, or ground fault circuit interrupters, help prevent electrocution. They are added to outlets in various regions around your house, specifically your kitchen, bathroom, crawlspaces, basements and outdoor areas. Whenever the GFCI detects an interruption in your circuit or a spike in the electrical current flowing through it, it immediately trips or shuts off the circuit. This can prevent potentially fatal disasters so make sure your GFCI outlets are intact and working. You can test them by simply pressing the “Test” button on your GFCI outlets. If you don’t have GFCI outlets, get in touch with your local electrician to add GFCIs to your home—they are required by the National Electric Code!
2. Unplug All Appliances Not in Use
Make sure you unplug any appliances like your coffeemaker, your hair dryer or toaster whenever they are not in use. Not only do they add risks when they are plugged in, they are also considered energy vampires—appliances that use up energy even when they are not in use, as long as they are plugged in. By unplugging these energy vampires, you can save some money on your energy bill!
3. Be Mindful of Wattage
Make sure you don’t use bulbs with more wattage than the fixture can take as this can be harmful to your fixture. It can cause the bulb to overheat and even melt the light socket. All of these can be dangerous so make sure you use a bulb with the right wattage.
4. Items Meant for Indoor Use Belong Indoors
If you have lights or extension cords that are only rated for indoor use, make sure they stay inside. If you want to use extension cords and lights outdoors, make sure they are rated for outdoor use. Indoor lights and electronics are more vulnerable to moisture and less durable, leaving room for malfunction or even electrical fires.
5. Use Outlets Properly
Make sure your outlets aren’t overloaded—plug in each heat producing appliance one at a time in an outlet. In addition, heavy appliances such as washers and refrigerators shouldn’t be plugged into extension cords, they should be plugged straight into the wall.
Want to learn more electrical safety tips for your home? Get in touch with the pros at Roman Electric. Whatever service you need, whether heating, cooling or plumbing, our team of experts are more than happy to help you out! We have skilled and experienced technicians who are committed to delivering the best service to all our customers. Call us today at 414-369-3798 or schedule a service with us on our website.
