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Knowing about common household electrical hazards can prevent injuries and fires. You can safely correct some electrical problems yourself, but other issues require a licensed professional electrician. The experienced electricians at Hoffman Electrical & A/C explore five common causes of electrical dangers so you and your family can stay safe.
Hoffman Electrical & A/C handles your residential electrical needs in Tampa, Hillsborough, and St. Petersburg. Call us today at 866-238-3243 or contact us online.
Some electrical dangers can easily be overlooked. Among them are frayed electrical cords and overloaded outlets.
When the rubber outer layer of an electrical cord wears away, the wiring is unprotected. Bare wires can give an electrical shock to anyone handling them, and frayed cords can lead to fires.
Check your electrical cords regularly for wear. If a cord appears damaged, promptly replace it and the appliance connected to it.
When you plug too many cords into an electrical outlet, it becomes overloaded, creating a fire hazard. The outlets in your home are meant for a specific amount of wattage, and exceeding that level is risky.
A power strip is a great solution for safely plugging in several electrical cords. You can also ask an electrician to install additional outlets.
Dangerous electrical issues can occur in homes over 40 years old. These include having outdated wiring and ungrounded outlets.
Your home’s aging wiring may not be equipped to power multiple electronic devices, televisions, microwave ovens, and other appliances. Decade-old circuits may not be able to power so many items, causing fires. An electrician can replace your outdated wiring.
Ungrounded outlets have two vertical openings where plugs can be inserted. Grounded outlets have a circular hole beneath the two upright slots. Grounded outlets safeguard you and your home in case of a short circuit. They prevent an overload of electricity from sparking a fire or giving someone a shock.
An experienced electrician will locate your ungrounded outlets and replace them with grounded ones.
You may never have heard of junction boxes and probably don’t think about switches. But exposed junction boxes and faulty switches put you, your family, and your home at risk.
A junction box contains electrical connections. If a junction box lacks a cover, live wires might trigger a fire or shock someone. Switches that are damaged or have exposed wires can hurt someone when they turn on a light or appliance.
A professional electrician has the knowledge and tools to replace these electrical components to enhance safety.
People spend a lot of time in their kitchens and bathrooms. These seem like safe places, although the proximity of water and electricity can be lethal.
Kitchens and bathrooms are full of electrical appliances near sinks and bathtubs. If you simultaneously touch water and an appliance when it’s turned on, you might get a severe shock or be electrocuted. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter electrical outlets protect you from this hazard. These outlets instantly halt the power to an appliance if, for example, it's accidentally immersed in water.
Having an electrician convert your outlets to GFCI ones, especially in kitchens and bathrooms, is a sound investment that could spare someone’s life.
Fixing things around the house can be enjoyable and economical. However, projects involving electricity should be done by qualified electricians.
Anybody who isn’t a trained, licensed electrician may not know how to prevent serious injury to themselves and others. They could start a fire when improperly handling electrical wires. Failure to install electrical boxes and using the wrong tools are other missteps homeowners make when working on DIY residential electrical projects.
Skilled electricians are always the safest for electrical tasks in your Tampa home.
Schedule an appointment today. Call the professionals from Hoffman Electrical & A/C at 866-238-3243 for outstanding electrical work in Tampa.
