Every homeowner experience simple electrical mistake that sometimes leads to serious electrical problems like fire or electrocution. With modern houses’ reliance on electricity, there are potential hazards that arise. We would like to explore changes that can help eliminate electrical risks and how to best handle them. 

These hazards can be eliminated or lessened by awareness and steps to reduce these dangers, which is best solved by the assistance of an electrician. Below are 5 common residential electrical hazards than could happen in any home and how to handle them.

You probably already know that you shouldn’t use electrical appliances near water. Dirt, minerals and other impurities in water conduct electricity. Those impurities when it hits the water, it causes electrical charge. When you encounter this, you’ll get electrocuted or shocked. So don't use the appliance anywhere near water. 

1. Don’t unplug or touch the appliance.

2. Turn off the power source directly from the circuit breaker to the outlet where the wet appliance is connected to

3. Wait for the wet appliance to dry before using it again

If you hesitate on doing this contact your Residential Electricians for help.

You may assume that light bulbs are harmless when they are not used properly, but that is not the case. The most common misuse of light bulbs is using a bulb with high wattage. This is called “overlapping”, and it may cause greater risk because the high wattage light bulb will produce massive heat than the fixture can sustain. The heat it produces can melt the light socket and burn the wire insulation on the fixture. It can even spark from one wire to another and this is called arcing. Arcing is hazardous and it puts you at risk for an electrical fire or electrocution.

Instead, only use bulbs with wattage ratings that are equivalent to or lower than the wattage rating indicated on its fixture.

Overloading your power strips or outlets are extremely dangerous. This is due to power strips are only built to handle a certain amount of electricity. If you plug in too many high-powered electrical appliances, it can cause overloading the strip or the outlet’s capacity which can lead to overheat and start an electrical fire on wires.

Instead, unplug and transfer to other outlets or strips. You can also upgrade to a higher amperage rating should your device need a lot of power. You can upgrade your outlet if it has 2-prongs or its broken or worn out.

Exposed outlets or outlets that do not have a protective covering over the socket holes can cause potential damage for households especially with children.

Sometimes young ones stick their fingers or metal objects into electrical sockets out of curiosity. When this happens, they can either be burned, shocked or even electrocuted.

Instead, install a child safety wall. Cover the holes in an outlet with these safety plates when electrical appliances are not in use. This can protect young ones from electrical shock.

Electrical fires are one of the major causes of residential fires in the United States according to the National Fire Prevention Association. Often, the main reason is due to outdated or faulty wiring that is already worn out that causes sparks to ignite a fire.

Instead, get your electrical wirings inspected by your local Residential Electricians if you notice any of those signs.

Having awareness of what electrical danger to watch out for is one of the best ways to prevent an electrical accident from occurring in your home. It is still recommended that you seek a certified electrician to check your home’s wiring every few years so you know if you need an upgrade, replacement or repair.