5 Electrical Safety Tips For Your Home

Electricity is the backbone of all houses, and it has too many benefits to list. But it is also quite unforgiving. If you make a mistake when electricity is involved, the consequences can be serious. Luckily, you don’t have to deal with electricity too directly. All electrical work has to be done by a qualified and licenced professional. Still, it’s important to know the basics of electrical safety. That’s why we have listed five electrical safety tips for your home.

#1 If you have a power pole on your property, make sure you report any damage or deterioration

Some properties have electrical power poles located in the front or backyard. If you have one in your yard, chances are you don’t pay it too much attention. And that’s fair enough – they don’t exactly stand out! But it is important that you keep an eye on. Of course, that never means you should climb it or attempt to maintain it in any way. Instead, you should simply inspect it from a distance, and without touching it, for signs of damage. If you see any, alert a qualified electrical and your power company.

#2 One of the most important electrical safety tips: never insert anything into a power point

Most electrical safety tips are pretty basic, and this one is no different. However it is still vitally important to know that you should never insert anything into a power socket. The only thing you can safely insert into a power socket is the plug of an appliance – provided that the plug is in good condition.

#3 Avoid pulling out power plugs by the cord – it can damage the insulation and expose live wires

While we are on the topic of plugs, we have another electrical safety tip for you: try not to pull out plugs by the cord. Power cords are heavily insulated so that you can use them safely. If you pull a plug out by the cord, it can actually damage that insulation – especially around the plug itself. That could expose some wires or damage the insulation. If it does, the plug will become an electrical hazard. Instead, we suggest unplugging appliances by pulling on the plug itself.

#4 Never excavate or dig in your backyard without first locating all underground electrical structures

DIY projects are a great way to save money, add value to your home, and work on something with your family. Often, DIY jobs involve some digging – whether it’s for a new garden feature, new drainage, or something else entirely. But, no matter how deep or shallow you dig, there is always a risk that you will hit an electrical structure underground. A lot of electrical infrastructure is run underground, which means you should always contact an electrical specialist before you dig, to work out where any possible wires might be. Your utilities company should also be able to help you find the information you need on this.

#5 Overloaded electrical sockets are one of the leading causes of electrical accidents in the home

Finally, we have one of our most important and most commonly overlooked electrical safety tips: never overload power points! Around your home, power points are only designed to service a certain number of appliances. If you plug in too many at one time, you run the risk of overloading the power socket. This can have a whole range of consequences and, unsurprisingly, none of them are good! In fact, overloaded power sockets cause a lot of house fires. When the current is too high for the socket, it can overheat and cause a fire. So next time you need an extra socket, unplug an appliance to make room for a new one instead.