Most of us take electricity for granted. Unfortunately, we also experience temporary electrical outages How Many People Die From Electrocution A Year inside our houses. Those outages are in our control, and are due to one of the top electrical hazards.
1. Old Wiring: Normally household wiring is expected to serve trouble-free for approximately 40 years. Any longer than that, will not meet current code standards. That’s when it’s time for an upgrade or at least a system check-up.
2. Dated Wire Size: Now-a-days kitchens and utility rooms should be upgraded to 10- or 12- gauge wire (especially if circuit breakers are frequently being blown.) Households today require much thicker wire than years ago because of much more electrical demands. Today, we are using central air conditioning and an ever-increasing number of large and small appliances.
3. Inadequate circuits and/or outlets. There are more home-based businesses than ever. They require home-office equipment. Almost every American home has 2 or 3 TVs and 2 or 3 computers. Then, there are fax machines, printers, etc. Houses built 20 years ago couldn’t handle this power load, let alone the houses built prior to that.
4. Too many extension cords. Sufficient circuit breakers and outlets is the convenient and safest way to prevent overloading of electrical systems. Extension cords should Prevention Of Electric Shock not be taken advantage of. They should be carefully checked for cracks and frays. Make sure to use a proper gauge wire for whatever it is you are trying to power.
There are some things in life that are too dangerous for “Do It Yourselfers”. When it comes to electricity and/or electrical repair, leave it for the professionals. Should you need an electrical contractor for your home or a commercial electrician for your office, it’s definitely best to call an electrician with the knowledge and experience to get the job done correctly and safely.
