Electrical safety has become a severe issue since most things that we regularly use are powered by electricity. We use electricity at every turn of life, but this usage has also demanded keen measures of electrical safety. Almost every appliance in our home is powered by electricity, and the plethora of appliances burdens our electrical system until it becomes unfit for use. If the electrical system cannot support your usage or if the system is outdated, it is a real hazard, and you should take specific measures to prevent any accidents.
Call a Qualified Electrician
The first rule you should be following is to check your electrical installation but never do it yourself. Call a qualified professional even if it’s just for a visual inspection. Only a skilled worker can pick up on any defects with a visual inspection since they are trained to do so. A qualified electrician can also provide you with other services such as fixed wire testing and get electrical condition installation reports. In the UK, Hexo Services are well trusted when it comes to electrical inspection and testing services. They offer assistance for residential and commercial electrical installation systems.
Check the fuses, circuit breakers and wiring
Older homes usually have older electrical systems, and if you’ve moved into an older home, you should have the electrical system checked before anything else.
You should be checking the fuses to see if they’re rewireable fuses. These types of fuses will melt due to flow of overload current flows, to save the circuit from overloading the circuit. You should have these changed, as they are more commonly used in older electrical installation systems. Instead of fuses, circuit breakers are used now. These simply trip due to overload of current flow and can be reset. If too many appliances draw electricity at the same time, it could also trip. But even these are not entirely safe and can melt due to current overload or some other fault such as old wiring.
Old wiring seems to work fine, but it is hazardous. Electrical systems should be updated with the latest types of wires available, as safer options are available in the market now. If there are naked wires anywhere in your home, have them replaced immediately or covered with electrical tape.
Check your plugs, sockets and electrical cables
Sometimes all is fine with circuit breakers and wiring, but problems can arise due to faulty plugs and sockets. If a plug or socket has burn marks, then it is not safe to use and should be replaced. It is not advised to use extension cables but rather to install multiple plugs.
Adapters and Extension cords may seem like the easy options, but they are a risk. Avoid extensions as much as possible since they burden sockets and can cause a fire. Plugs are designed for a particular amount of electricity and cannot bear more than that. Do not use low quality electrical cables as they can damage your electrical appliance and the plugs.