Category: Safety Tips

Child-Proofing Your Home for The Holidays

Published on

child-proof your home

If you have any guests staying over for the holidays, chances are you’re going to have double the amount of kids running around your home (think Home Alone!). And while the decorations around your home are probably very fun and festive, they can pose serious harm to curious children. That is why you should take some time to properly child-proof your home, so you don’t have any during the holidays! To help you get started, the pros at Roman Electric have created a quick guide.

1. Add a Toilet Lock

This is especially helpful if you’re going to have some curious toddlers exploring your home. A toilet lid lock can prevent a child from getting in some scary situations such as falling into the toilet or getting stuck. There are several toilet lid locks on the market, ranging from $7-$15.

2. Babyproof Electrical Cords

If you have a lot of decorations up, it’s likely that you have a lot of electrical cords being used. That is why it’s important you find a way to clear them up as they can create tripping hazards for kids. To prevent this from happening, make sure your cords run through a duct cord cover. These covers look like speed bumps made of rubber, can fit many cords and cost $10-$20 depending on their size.

If you want to prevent access to the cord, consider getting a cord shortener. This product prevents cord entanglement, shortens the excess of a long cord and can even come with outlet covers. You can purchase these from your nearest home improvement store—they are usually priced within the $4-$10 range.

3. Get Outlet Covers

It’s common knowledge that by poking metal utensils in outlets, toddlers can experience electric shock. It’s never a good idea for a child to be poking anything into an outlet, which is why it’s important to get outlet covers. These covers are usually plastic pieces that can be directly inserted into the outlet’s sockets. If you have any power strips, consider getting covers for them too. You can purchase in-use covers which allow cords to be plugged in, while encasing the entire power strip.

4. Be Careful in The Kitchen

Don’t leave anything unattended on the stove and don’t leave the stove on. Children can easily reach over and burn themselves or topple a heavy pot or pan over. You can also prevent this from happening by placing pots or pans near the backend of the stove.

5. Use Battery Operated Candles

If you absolutely must use candles, try using battery operated candles. They are cheap and safe to be around children as well as upholstery and curtains. If you use scented candles, switch to air fresheners, diffuser sticks or essential oil diffusers just for the holidays.

Keep Your Home Safe for The Holidays with Roman Electric!

If you want more tips on how you can childproof your home for the holidays, contact the pros at Roman Electric! Call us today at 414-369-3798 or schedule a service with us on our website!

 

 

Electrical Safety: Indoor Holiday Decorations

Published on

electrical safety during the holidays

While indoor holiday decorations are fun and festive, they can also pose a danger to your home if they are not handled properly. One little mishap with a worn-out wire or an outlet and you might be dealing with electrical fires or shocks. Luckily, the pros at Roman Electric are here to help you out. Here is a quick guide to electrical safety during the holidays so you can have a safe and restful break!

1. Indoor Lights Should Not Be Near Curtains

Indoor lights are creative and fun and add to the holiday ambiance you want in your home. However, it is important to keep these lights away from drapes, curtains and any kind of flammable items—especially if these lights have incandescent bulbs. Incandescent bulbs can heat up easily, increasing the chance of something in your home catching fire. If you’re tired of this risk with incandescent bulbs, try making the switch to LED bulbs! LED’s last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs and use 75% less energy! They also don’t radiate heat and if you purchase LEDs with epoxy lenses, they aren’t prone to shattering either.

2. Discard Frayed Cords

Keep any eye out for any lights or decorations with frayed or worn-out cords. While it might not seem like a big deal, frayed cords can lead to the live wire being exposed. This poses a serious danger to users as it increases risk of electrocution and electrical fires. It’s not worth it to use frayed cords—if you find several parts of the indoor light cords are frayed and exposed, it is best to discard them. In addition to looking out for frayed cords, making sure none of the bulbs are cracked or broken.

3. Choose Battery Operated Candles

Unless you’re using the Christmas or holiday themed scented candles, it is best to use battery operated candles for decoration purposes. Actual candles look nice, but they are risky, especially if they are placed near flammable items. Battery operated candles are safe, affordable and achieve the same effect!

4. Check for Underwriters Laboratory Sign

Before you purchase indoor lights and decorations, make sure to check for the “UL” sign on the packaging—this sign indicates that the lights have been approved by the Underwriters Laboratory and are safe to use whether it is indoors or outdoors. The Red UL sign indicates that the lights are safe to be used indoors and outdoors and the green UL sign marks that the lights are only safe for outdoor use.

5. Use Clips Instead of Nails

Instead of hammering the cords in with nails or thumb tacks, use clips or adhesive hooks. This way you can ensure your lights are hung properly and are in place without damaging the cords.

Practice Electrical Safety During the Holidays with Roman Electric!

We hope this guide to electrical safety during the holidays is helpful! If you want more electrical safety tips, get in touch with the pros at Roman Electric! Call us today at 414-369-3798 or schedule a service with us on our website!

When to Get an Electrical Safety Inspection

Published on

When to Get an Electrical Safety Inspection - Roman Electric

When was the last time you scheduled an electrical safety inspection from a qualified electrician?

If it’s been more than a year, spring is the perfect time to have your electrical system checked out by a licensed professional. As a supporter of National Electrical Safety Month, an annual electrical safety awareness campaign in May sponsored by the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), Roman Electric is sharing important electrical safety inspection information.

Use the month of May to evaluate your electrical system for potential safety hazards. This year’s theme is: Electrical Safety During Natural Disasters.

When should you schedule an electrical safety inspection?

Here are the signs that you should schedule an electrical safety inspection:

  • Before you buy or sell a home.
  • It’s been over a year since a licensed electrician inspected your home.
  • You are experiencing regularly occurring power surges, flickering/dimming lights, or tripped circuits.
  • Your home is 40 years or older.
  • You are adding a room or making a major renovation.
  • You are adding a major appliance such as a central HVAC system or washer/dryer.
  • There is a strange burning/sulfuric smell near electrical components.
  • You do not have enough outlets/power in your home to accommodate your electrical needs.
  • There are outlets or switches that are warm or hot to the touch.
  • You hear buzzing, humming, or other strange sounds coming from electrical system.

If you are experiencing frequently tripping breakers — cutting off power to one or more sections of your home — contact a professional electrician right away. There may be a dangerous electrical problem in your home. The same applies for any strange sights, sounds, or smells coming from electrical components.

Don’t forget to schedule a whole-house electrical inspection before you buy a house or start a major renovation project. A licensed and trained electrician will be able to tell you if there are any electrical problems to be aware of.

Roman Electric recommends scheduling a professional electrical safety inspection every year to uncover potential problems, increase energy efficiency, and make sure everything is code compliant.

What’s included in an electrical safety inspection?

An in-depth electrical safety inspection will include:

  • Electric meter
  • Electrical wires
  • Electrical panels and boxes
  • Circuit breakers and fuses
  • Contactors and relays
  • GFCI and AFCI protection
  • Indoor and outdoor lighting
  • Outlets and switches

In addition to rooting out electrical issues before they turn into major safety hazards, a professional electrician will make sure the home is up to National Electrical Code standards.

DIY Electrical Safety Inspection

There are a few monthly electrical maintenance tasks you can do to ensure a safe and efficient electrical system:

Make sure you aren’t using extension cords as a permanent solution. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions exactly. Learn more extension cord safety tips.

Stop using these switches and outlets and contact a qualified electrician right away if you notice any of the following:

  • Outlets or switches are warm to the touch.
  • Outlets or switches are discolored.
  • Plugs don’t fit snugly into outlets.
  • Outlets or switches make a crackling, buzzing, or sizzling sound.

Learn more electrical system safety tips.

Schedule a Comprehensive Electrical Safety Checkup from Roman Electric

Your electrical system is designed to last a long time, but it’s not always prepared to handle new, sensitive electronics and increased amounts of energy.

Roman Electric will send out an experienced technician to look over your home’s electrical system and make sure everything is running as it should. We will repair small issues on the spot and provide a list of recommendations, such as waterproofing for wet locations.

We will also inspect your home for working home safety devices, including:

  • Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters
  • Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters
  • Tamper Resistance Receptacles
  • Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Schedule an appointment with Roman Electric today for your annual electrical safety inspection.

We understand that electrical emergencies are never convenient. That’s why we have a live call center open 24 hours a day to help with all of your urgent electrical needs: 414-369-3798.

Diagnosing a Short Circuit

Published on

When a short circuit happens, you’ve got no choice but to drop whatever you’re currently doing. Something has gone wrong somewhere, and you can’t just ignore it and keep on pretending like nothing happened. But that’s just the first step in the process to restoring power to whatever just lost it. How are you supposed to know what caused the short circuit, and what can you do figure out where it happened?

Let the electrical experts at Roman Electric guide you through it! Isolating the cause of a short circuit is a fairly straightforward process, but if you don’t know where to look, it can get complicated. We’ll walk you through the steps of tracing a short circuit so you can diagnose where your attention should lie. And if you’d rather just let a professional do the dirty work, we’ve got you covered!

First Things First: Cut the Power

Before you even start thinking about tinkering with volatile electrical components, cut the power to your breaker or fuse box. You don’t want to accidentally injure yourself doing something dangerous, so make sure that no power is running through the circuits you’re about to be inspecting.

As a double-safety precaution, turn off light switches and unplug any appliances you can think of. This is no time to skip being careful. It only takes a few minutes, and you’d rather take a bit longer to ensure your safety than risk serious harm because you were impatient.

Problem with the Circuit?

To find out where the short is, you’ve got to narrow down your options. Now that all your appliances are unplugged and your switches are turned off, reset the breaker. Either flip the switch or replace a fuse, depending on the type of box you have.

Next, see if the short has occurred again. If it happens immediately, then the odds are high that you’ve got a problem with a circuit itself or with your electrical system as a whole.

Find the Culprit

However, if none of the switches have tripped or no fuses have blown again, then you know the problem is somewhere in the house with a specific circuit. Go one-by-one, flipping light switches until the short happens again. Sometimes it’ll happen soon, but it may take some time until you figure it out.

But if it doesn’t happen at all, then you’ve only got one possibility left: it’s the fault of a specific appliance. Plug them in one at a time to see which one triggers the short, and you’ll have your answer. Either swap out your appliance for a new one, or call an electrician to fix it.

 

DIY electrical solutions can be dangerous, so you always need to observe proper electrical safety while you’re working on them. If you’d rather let a professional handle this potentially serious issue, let us solve your problem. The experts at Roman Electric are well-versed in circuitry and can help identify your issue in no time.

Give us a call at 414-369-3798 to find out how we can help!

Halloween Safety Tips

Published on

There’s nothing quite like the excitement you feel before going out trick-or-treating on Halloween. The chatter of the anxious kids, the smells of the fall air and the spooky sounds coming from different houses all create a truly one-of-a-kind environment.

But just like any other event, it’s imperative to stay safe and observe proper precautions to ensure you have a fun and happy Halloween. With so many people out and about, you’d hate to have something go awry in the hustle and bustle of trick-or-treating. Here are a few tips from Roman Electric to keep in mind!

Don’t Go Alone

As we mentioned above, there are bound to be a lot of people out going door-to-door to get all the candy they can. And because everyone’s dressed up in costumes, losing someone in the hubbub is far too easy.

Be sure to always go with a buddy! That way you’ll know if someone accidentally got mixed up and won’t get lost.

Use Something to Help Drivers See You

Even though everyone’s out in the streets, drivers still have to use the roads to get places. When it gets dark, they can have a hard time seeing you if you’ve got a darker-colored costume on.

Help them out by affixing costumes with reflective tape or some other shiny surface so that they’ll be able to see you at night.

Observe Street Safety

Despite the crowds, you still need to adhere to basic street safety rules. Look both ways when crossing the street and be sure to only cross when you reach an intersection instead of darting across the road.

When you’re walking around, be sure to only walk on sidewalks. Although it’s tempting to walk in the road, avoid the potential trouble and just stay safely away from traffic.

Test Halloween Makeup Beforehand

Lots of costumes aren’t complete until you apply makeup. However, there’s a chance you might be allergic to the ingredients in whatever makeup you use.

Avoid this potential problem by testing it on a smaller area before the big night. That way you’ll be able to know if it will lead to any complications without risking an allergic reaction.

Make Sure an Adult Accompanies the Crowd

The kids won’t be as keen to the idea of having a grown-up tag along, but it’ll safeguard against any trouble the group might run into over the course of the night.

Let an adult (or two) keep watch over the trick-or-treaters so they can grab all the candy they want without a worry!

Keep an Eye on the Ground

Although most people get their properties ready for Halloween, not everyone does. Some people leave hoses, tools or other loose objects laying around their homes, and a wayward child can trip over them if they’re not careful!

Keep your eyes peeled so this doesn’t happen to you or someone in your group.

Halloween is a fun night – don’t let an easily avoidable problem get in the way of the trick-or-treating festivities! We at Roman Electric love the holidays, and we want all of our neighbors to stay safe and sound during the festivities.

Give us a call at 414-369-3798 for last-minute Halloween lighting solutions or any other electrical, HVAC or scary plumbing problem – we’re glad to help