subject: Maintaining Electrical Safety in Your Home [print this page] Maintaining Electrical Safety in Your Home
The importance of having a certified electrician installing your electrical system and wiring at your home cannot be emphasized enough. The main reason for this is to ensure all the safety measures are applied. They knowledge they possess helps to ensure that the electrical systems in your home are installed following all the electrical safety standards. A good example would be the installation of a ground fault circuit which is a safety equipment.
The function of a ground fault circuit interrupter (GCFI) is to automatically interrupt the electrical flow whenever it senses a stray current. This helps to ensure safety levels are highly maintained in a home. The ground fault circuit interrupter is usually installed around the water sources in a home such as the kitchen, bathroom or swimming pool. It constantly monitors flow of electricity in a circuit. If it detects anything other than the ordinary it then automatically cuts off the electric flow.
The installation of a GCFI is a step in the right direction when it comes to ensuring safety levels are maintained in the home. As earlier mentioned only a certified electrician should handle this job. Other than installing the mentioned equipment for safety purposes there are various other vital things a homeowner can do to ensure safety is not compromised. These would include avoiding the use of electrical appliances in wet areas. And in a scenario where this cannot be avoided you should make use of a GCFI outlet.
One other safety measure is to ensure the bulbs you use have suitable outlets as well as wattages. Al this details are indicated on the product specification. When done working with any appliance avoid pulling on the code in order to remove it from the socket, instead pull the plug. This way you will ensure that the cable is not damaged in any way. Damaged codes are known to cause electrical shock or even cause fires.
It is important to avoid overloading one socket with too many appliances at one go. In most cases it ends up causing a fire. When you are through with any appliances ensure they are unplugged from the socket. This is especially important when you are leaving the house. Not only will it help in the saving of energy it will also prevent any incidences from occurring. Following these simple steps will help to ensure that safety is maintained in your home.
