Electrical fires: Three things every homeowner needs to know

It’s every homeowner’s nightmare: Electrical fires.

Electrical fires are one of the top reasons for home fires each year. But the good news is, many electrical fires can be prevented.

In general, of the roughly 20,000 house fires in the United States annually, most come in the winter months. Some of this is due to holiday lighting, portable heaters and candles.

If you want to prevent electrical fires in your home, here are some things to check. Read on:

Wiring

One of the top causes of electrical fires is faulty, old or improperly installed wiring. It’s usually easy to check your wiring, or hire a qualified electrician to come out and do an inspection. Sometimes, the wiring is old; sometimes it malfunctions. It can also be damaged by animals. But whatever the case, making sure your home’s wiring is in good working order and up to code is something to invest in – today.

Appliances

Think about all the things you have plugged in right now: Your refrigerator. A laptop or gaming system. Lamps, a toaster, your phone charger. You are probably occupying so many outlets, right? Sometimes, electrical fires can start from appliances that are not plugged in properly or that have other issues. Check yours today.

Lights and cords

Lamps can be a common cause of fires for several reasons. Sometimes, you are using an improper bulb. Other times, the lamp gets hot and is too close to something flammable. Maybe your lamp has a frayed or damaged cord. Whatever the reason, lamps need to be regularly inspected and replaced if they are damaged. To that end, how many extension cords are you currently using? If you are using them a lot – and overloading them – it can cause a fire. And make sure you are not using an indoor cord outdoors – and vice versa.

Quality Electric

If you have questions about electrical safety, we’d love to chat. Call us today and let one of our expert electricians come out and do an inspection.