Tag: home safety

Child-Proofing Your Home Electrical System

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child-proofing your home electrical system

There’s nothing like raising a child. You get to be a witness as they slowly figure out how to grow into themselves, and it’s a truly amazing experience. But when you bring a new member of the family into your home, you’ve got to take into account the different areas of your home that might not be suitable for a young child.

Your electrical system is a prime example. The things you have understood for years – don’t stick things in the electrical socket; don’t pour water on a live wire – are things your child hasn’t learned yet. So, it’s a good idea to take a few steps to child-proof your home to protect them until they learn how to approach these dangerous elements. Here a couple of ways to do just that!

Use Plastic Outlet Caps

Like we said, a small child hasn’t figured out that the little openings on the plastic outlets in your walls aren’t there for them to shove things into. They’ll get shocked, and if they’re lucky, that’s all that will happen. Outlets are dangerous, so we recommend purchasing a set of small plastic outlet caps to put in the plugs.

Small children can’t remove them – or at least, they won’t be able to before you stop them – and they’ll eventually learn not to mess with them at all.

Cover Power Strips

Although power strips are extremely useful, they present a hazard to small kids, who can trip over them or tinker with them and end up hurting themselves with all the plugs. To get rid of this problem, you can do a few things.

  • Invest in dedicated power-strip covers. These covers, which are made of plastic, slide over the power strip and protect them from prying fingers.
  • Another strategy is just to block the power strips with furniture. If a child doesn’t see the power strips, it’s unlikely that they’ll seek them out behind a couch and tinker with them.

Get Regular Inspections

Even if you’ve taken every step to protect your child from preventable hazards like outlets and power strips, you can’t plan for everything. Sometimes, wiring frays and deteriorates, and when there are loose electrical components, your child can hurt themselves without even meaning to.

Getting the help of a professional to come inspect your wiring and the rest of your electrical system is the best way to avoid this. They’ll identify trouble spots and recommend a way forward to solve the problem, keeping you and your family safe.

Roman Home Services’s electricians can take care of all that, and more. Our priority is safety, and there’s a reason Milwaukee trusts Roman Home Services to handle their concerns for 90 years.

Give us a call at 414-369-3798 to schedule an appointment with one of our expert electricians to help child-proof your home’s electrical system!

Unexpected Electrical Hazards

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Since we use so much electricity in our homes, it’s a given that fire hazards exist. However, we usually feel like we’ve got a handle on them, for the most part, since it seems like most hazards only come from obvious sources like furnaces or cooking utensils.

But did you know just how many unexpected electrical hazards might be in your home? Don’t get alarmed – a lot of them aren’t anything to worry about – but it’s still helpful to be aware of what could happen. Here are a handful of hazards to be mindful of as you go about your business – be sure to keep an eye on them to avoid any potential issues. Here at Roman Home Services, we want you to stay safe and comfortable all the time.

Outlets

Obviously, electrical problems are going to be present when you’re talking about outlets. They’re the points where electricity jumps from your circuits to the device itself, so it’s natural to assume that if a problem occurs, it will happen there.

But you need to be especially careful around outlets that are installed near where water could be. These outlets should be GFCI versions, which include an automatic shutoff that deploys when it detects a change in current level – avoiding short circuits. If your outlets near places like sinks or ones that are installed on the exterior aren’t GFCI outlets, get them changed as soon as possible.

Light Bulbs

Light bulbs aren’t usually one of the first things you think of in terms of hazards, but they can be quite dangerous. Make sure you’re using ones that have the right wattage requirement, or else the bulb could have too much power coursing through it and blow.

Dryer Lint

There’s a reason Mom was always so adamant about changing the dryer lint! This material is highly flammable! If you let it build up too much, then all it will take is one spark for the lint to start a fire. Be sure to change it every time you run the dryer and avoid this situation altogether.

Older Appliances

As your appliances age, they begin to wear down. You already knew this, but there’s a reason to swap them out other than just to get something new. If it’s an electrical appliance, the wiring inside it will begin to deteriorate as well. As this happens, the chance of a rogue spark igniting a fire grows greater and greater.

If your appliances have reached the end of their shelf life, don’t wait around to replace them!

Dust

Yep, the annoying thing that makes us all sneeze is one of the most volatile electrical hazards around. Similar to dryer lint, dust can catch on fire quite easily, which makes it all the more important that you sweep, dust and otherwise clean your home regularly to avoid this possibility.

This might strike a nerve and have you worried that your home is one wayward spark away from serious damage. Don’t worry, though! As long as you take good care of your appliances and don’t forget to change things out when they need changing, you’ll be okay.

And if you’re not sure, just get in touch with us. Roman Home Services is the Milwaukee area’s most trusted service company for a reason. We’d love to work with you to determine if anything needs changing. From electrical concerns to full-scale plumbing solutions, if you need it – we’ll do it.

Give us a call at 414-369-3798 for more information!