Shocking!
Welcome my friends! Today I would like to spend a little time discussing one of the most important aspects of our lives… electricity.
Those of us who have had the pleasure of going through a hurricane and being without power for extended periods of time know the pain of not having a working air conditioner, refrigerator, or lights. I can tell you it is absolutely no fun. Electricity is vital to our day to day lives and more importantly, so is making sure you do not have faulty circuits, worn circuit breakers or other hazards that may cause a life threatening situation.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, every year there are 28,600 electrical fires leading to loss of life and property. You can check them out here: www.usfa.fema.gov . It is also worth noting that the highest number of fires occurs in December and January of each year. This is often due to improper use of extension cords, overloading faulty circuit breakers, and extra lights that aren’t normally in play. In older homes, the electrical system may just be out of date and unable to handle the added load of things like big screen televisions, video gaming systems and other appliances that were not a factor when the home was built.
So what can we do you ask? First, extension cords can be very hazardous if used improperly with too many things plugged into one circuit or too many objects plugged into one cord. The circuit breakers should, if operating properly, trip and prevent fire issues if you do happen to overload a cord. However, if the breakers are not in good condition or oversized you could end up with a not so nice fire and brimstone situation. Appliances should never be plugged into an extension cord for long periods of time; they need to be plugged directly into an outlet controlled by a circuit breaker.
In homes built before 1980, we often find a couple of brands of circuit breaker panels that have lost their Underwriters Laboratories safety rating. Those panels can present serious unseen dangers and need to be addressed by a certified electrical professional. If you have lights that flicker in your home randomly this can be a sign of an issue with the circuit breaker panel itself.
The good news is that we have a full complement of certified electrical professionals ready to come to your aid. Whether it is installing new circuits, ceiling fans, light fixtures, or rewiring your entire home, we have the right people to present you with the right solution for your electrical needs.
If you haven’t given much thought to your electrical system in many years, give us a ring for a complete home electrical inspection. We can provide you with peace of mind in knowing that you and your home will not be counted in the statistics for electrical fires that occur each year. Until next week, everyone stay safe out there.
Parting thought: my neighbor told me he was going to rewire his own house, how hard can it be? I think he’s in for a shock.
House Whisperer out!!!!
