Electricity powers so many aspects of life today that many people cannot imagine living without it. Despite the numerous benefits of electricity, however, it can also be dangerous to your household if you aren't careful. Here are some of the precautions to take to avoid electricity-related disasters in your home.
Ensure Proper Grounding
The electrical grounding plays an important part in your electrical safety; it ensures that any current leaking out of the circuit is channeled into the ground where they won't cause any harm or damage. Therefore, if you don't know the true status of electrical grounding, you should asses the grounding before using electrical devices or appliances.
Here is a simple way to confirm that an outlet is properly grounded using a circuit tester:
- Insert the red probe of the tester into the narrow slot (for a three-pronged outlet, there are three slots namely a narrow slot for the hot wire, a U-shaped lot for grounding wire, and a larger slot for the neutral)
- Insert the black probe into the larger slot
- The grounding is efficient if the tester lights up
Avoid Circuit Overload
Even if your electrical system is properly grounded, you may cause an electrical catastrophe while using it if you overload a circuit. Overloading a circuit heats up the electrical wiring and appliances, and this increases the risk of damage to electrical systems. Each circuit has a maximum current load it can safely bear. You need to know the rating of each circuit or outlet and the current rating of your electrical devices or appliances to that you don't overload the circuit.
Use Surge Protectors with Sensitive Equipment
The electricity supply to your home isn't perfectly steady at all times; it sometimes experiences fluctuations. Unfortunately, some electrical appliances or devices are very sensitive to these fluctuations and can easily get fried if supplied with too much power. There are electrical protective devices you can use to cut off electricity flow during power fluctuations so that your electrical systems aren't damaged.
Don't Reset Tripped Breakers Multiple Times
Electrical breakers contribute to your electrical safety by cutting off power when it exceeds the breaker rating. This means there is a problem with your electrical system if a breaker trips. If the tripping is caused by a temporary power surge, then you can safely reset the breaker and continue using your electricity because the breaker won't trip again. However, you should not reset the breaker multiple times if it keeps tripping because it means there is an unresolved problem with the circuit. In such a case, diagnose and fix the fault before resetting the breaker and using it again.
For professional assistance, contact companies like Powell's Electric Service, Inc.
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