5 Electrical Safety Tips For Your Home or Business This Holiday Season.
#1- Be careful not to overload Cord strips and extension cords.
As the holidays approach many stores and vendors are stocking their shelves with a large supply of extension cords and plug strips for the holiday consumers. Many of these are very cheaply made and can very easily be overloaded with too high of a wattage load and overheat causing melt down and possible fires. It is important to read the manufacturer's instructions for these and not overload them. More importantly it is better to do your research and spend a little more money on better quality ones. Never plug large appliances such as refrigerators, furnaces, or electric heaters into these as they can overload and catch on fire or melt. (see attached photo)
#2- Test your GFCI outlets.
This is a good time of year to test all of your GFCI outlets or breakers in your home to make sure they are functioning properly and will protect you and your family from harm in the event of a ground fault or water contact with electricity. Press the test button and make sure it trips and then reset them. If they do not trip when tested then they need to be replaced. GFCI protected outlets are now required by code in Garages, crawl spaces, exterior of home, kitchen counters, laundry areas, bathrooms, and any areas within 6' of water.
#3- Test your smoke detectors and check batteries.
As families gather for the holiday festivities and cook more food and large dinners together, nothing is more embarrassing than that one smoke detector that keeps going off after some food starts smoking and sets them all off. A low battery can cause this or a defective smoke detector unit. National code recommends changing your smoke detectors out every 10 years max and batteries at manufacturer recommended intervals or every year if not sure.
#4- Check your security lighting.
As the holidays draw near there are also an unfortunate number of thieves who try to take advantage of parcel or mail deliveries left unattended on your porch or in your mailbox. Nothing is more unwelcome to a thief or prowler than getting lit up and showing the world they are there. If you have security or motion lights, make sure they are all working properly and the settings are working for the area. Almost all motion light setting guides and manuals can be found online these days and a few minutes of reading and tweaking settings can maximize your motion lights range and capability.
#5- Check for brush or trees on your power lines.
As we go into the winter months; extreme snowfall and wind can wreak havoc on the trees and brush surrounding the utilities overhead power lines along the roads or even crossing your own yard. Be on the constant watch for branches or trees falling on these lines or even leaning in to close for comfort. If the utility company is notified ahead of time before a branch breaks a line they can do preventative trimming and avoid possible power outages later. Also; if a green branch or tree is touching one of your overhead lines this can cause a current leak to ground resulting in possible danger of shock as well as high utility bills.
