Electricity is one of the most important resources that we have today. It powers nearly everything that we use on a day to day basis. We use it to wash our clothes, light our homes, power our refrigerator and much more. As our electrical usage rises, however, we must also be more conscious about our safety whenever using. There are far too many stories of electrical usage gone wrong, and you are responsible for making sure that you do not end up as one of those stories. With just a few guidelines, and a little common sense, you can increase the electrical safety of both you and your home.
Pay Attention
The best way to remain safe when using electricity is to be aware of your surroundings. If you are outside, always look up and around to see if there are any power lines. This is especially true if you are working on your roof or in a tree. You should also be very careful when using electricity near water. This is incredibly dangerous, and should be avoided at all costs. To further increase your awareness, learn how things are supposed to be working under normal conditions. If you are experiencing strange brownouts or outages, contact a local electrician immediately to assess the safety of your electrical system.
Electrical Protection
You can find a variety of devices that are designed to protect your home and electrical system. These systems can both improve your safety and increase your peace of mind. Although many homeowners either don’t know about them, or just do not think that they are necessary. One of the most common devices in our homes is the Ground Fault Indicator (GFI) outlet. These outlets are so integral to our safety around electricity that they are actually mandated in many areas throughout the country. A GFI outlet is typically required in areas that are frequently wet, such as the bathroom, kitchen, garage or outdoors. If you are using a hair dryer in your bathroom, for example, and you drop it into the sink, a GFI outlet will cut off the flow of power to the outlet so that you do not become electrocuted.
Whole house surge protectors are another great thing to have installed if you want to increase the safety and health of your electrical system. A whole house surge protector is typically installed in conjunction with your electrical panel. It helps to stop electricity from reaching unsafe levels within your home. This can lead to catastrophic damage, as well as slow, incremental power surges that can slowly reduce the lifespan of your appliances.
In addition to these two important tips, it is also important to have any necessary electrical upgrades performed as quickly as possible. This is especially true if you live in an older home. Older homes can be filled with deteriorating wire, undersized electrical panels and other dangerous components. Your best bet is to get in touch with a local electrician to have them inspect and upgrade your electrical system if necessary. Many will do the inspection for free, so there is nothing to lose.