Don’t let the electrical system in your Nashville home cause fire damage

9/18/2015 (Permalink)

Electrical safety tips

Most of us have grown up using electricity just about every day of our lives. Whether it is plugging in a toaster, watching TV, or even charging a laptop or phone, we’re surrounded by it. Electricity is essential, but can be a huge hazard to us if not used and maintained properly. According to Electrical Safety Foundation International (Esfi.org), home electrical fires account for an estimated 51,000 fires each year, nearly 500 deaths, more than 1,400 injuries and $1.3 billion in property damage. 65% of home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no working smoke detectors. ESFI gave a list of some electrical fire safety tips to keep you and your family informed on the proper electrical safety precautions.

Electrical Fire Safety Tips

• Make sure that there are smoke detectors installed on every floor of the building, inside each room and right outside of every sleeping area to ensure that the alarms can be heard even when sleeping.
• Test smoke detectors monthly to make sure that they’re working properly and have working batteries.
• Have your electrical system inspected by a certified professional to make sure that all of the electrical work meets the National Electric Code safety standards.
• Look and listen for signs of electrical problems such as, flickering or dim lights, buzzing or sizzling sounds from electrical outlets, or insulation and circuit breakers that trip repeatedly. If any of these or any other electrical problems are found, contact a professional as soon as possible for the issue to be inspected.
• Avoid overloading outlets with too many electronics. Consider having more outlets or circuits installed by a professional.
• In homes with children, install tamper resistant devices to keep children from getting electrical shocks or burns.
• Create an evacuation plan that can be used in the event of a fire.

Source - http://www.esfi.org/resource/home-electrical-fires-184