Home Electrical Safety Tips for Fall 

As the cool fall weather approaches, now is the time to ensure that your home’s electrical safety is a priority. Plugged In Electrical wants to help you be proactive about protecting your family. By following these simple tips, you can minimize the risk of electrical danger in your home.

•       Look for Loose Plugs—Loose plugs are annoying, but they are also a safety hazard. Because they are not installed properly, they tend to overheat. An overheated electrical plug can lead to a fire. If you notice any loose plugs, make note of them, and schedule a visit to have the plugs fixed.
•       Cover Your Outlets—If you have young children in your home, make sure that all your outlets are safely covered. Over 2,000 children each year experience burns or severe shocks from putting metal objects in outlets. They are too tempting and dangerous, so cover them up.
•       Test Your GFCI Outlets—These outlets can be found around water sources, like your kitchen sink, bathroom counter, or laundry area. Press the reset button and see if it responds properly. If you have any faltering GFCI outlets, let us know so we can repair or replace them. These outlets are vital for protecting you from electrocution in especially hazardous spots near your water sources.
•       Schedule an Electrical Panel Inspection—Many electrical issues can be identified at your electrical panel. If you constantly have a breaker tripping, it could be an issue within your breaker box. We offer free electrical panel inspections. If we find an issue, we can give you an estimate for repairing the electrical concern.
•       Inspect Your Cords—From your phone charger cords to extension cords, make sure that they are in good condition. Using a cord with exposed wires or a cord taped up with electrical tape is not safe. Replacing the damaged cord will be far cheaper than the expense of a house fire. Also, you are putting your family’s safety at risk.
•       Test Your Smoke Detectors—Smoke detectors are the essential devices that you hope you never need. Since they are not needed on a regular basis, homeowners can get complacent and forget to test them and check their batteries. Discovering your smoke detectors do not work when your house is already on fire is a serious problem. Smoke detectors are life-saving devices, so make sure that all your detectors are working properly. You should have smoke detectors in every bedroom and placed on every level of your home. If you need smoke detectors installed, we can help!
•       Check Your Lightbulbs—Double check that your lightbulbs are the correct wattage for your fixtures. At best, using the wrong wattage could cause your bulb to go out prematurely. At worst, too high of wattage could overheat your fixture, which could lead to melting outlets and insulation. At that point, you are at risk of arc faults and a house fire.
•       Inspect Your Electric Blanket—Electric blankets can be helpful heat sources during the winter months, but only if they are properly certified, in good repair, and used appropriately. If the power cord is damaged, you need to replace the blanket. Never tuck in the electric blanket or put a comforter over top of it. You can use your electric blanket to warm up your bed but turn it off before you fall asleep to avoid safety hazards or overheating. Although your fur babies will probably love it, do not let your pets sleep with your electric blanket.

Call Plugged In Electrical for any electric repair you need! We are standing by to help you keep your family safe this fall.