Little-Known Electrical Hazards to Keep an Eye On

Your home could have a few electrical hazards that you may not think much of. But if disaster strikes, you might be forced to deal with other problems you didn't expect.

Most electrical hazards can cause injuries, shocks, and electrical fires. But if you know what to look for, you can avoid accidents that may come from such electrical hazards. Discover three main hazards that your home's electrical system might have and the proper ways to address them.

1. Outlets and Appliances Near Water

If water gets into contact with any electrical appliances or wall outlets, you may be at risk of electrocution. Your outlets or appliances could suffer significant damage as well.

When water enters your outlets, the metal parts may rust and corrode. Corrosion may prevent the proper flow of electrical current and cause the outlet to heat up severely. A heated outlet can easily cause an accidental electrical fire that may catch you by surprise.

If a live outlet gets wet, it can have a short circuit that might trigger an unexpected current surge. Uncontrolled current is a huge trigger for accidental electrical fires.

Your appliances could suffer the same fate if water enters their internal circuit components. So, if one of your plugged-in appliances gets into contact with water, don't unplug it immediately. Instead, switch off the electrical supply to the outlet (from your main electrical panel), then unplug the appliance. If you're still worried about possible damage, call in a licensed electrician to be sure.

2. Overloaded Power Strips

Power strips are designed to handle a specific amount of electrical current. If the current load exceeds this limit, the consequents can be very dangerous.

For example, if you plug in too many high-power appliances to one power strip, the huge electricity demand might exceed what the power strip can handle. The wires to the power strip can quickly heat up and cause a fire. Such an overload can have disastrous effects that threaten your safety at home.

You can avoid power strip overloads if you only plug in devices that draw less power. Also, don't daisy chain several power strips or use adapters to hold more devices than the plugs available on your power strip.

High-current home appliances like microwaves and fridges require that you plug them directly into a wall outlet. But if you don't have such luxury, get a power strip with a higher amperage capacity to accommodate the appliances with bigger power demands. You can still use surge protectors as an added safety guarantee.

3. Poor Grounding

Grounding electrical circuits is a solid safety precaution that protects against accidental electrocution or fire damage. This safety feature ensures that electrical current flows through a path of least resistance to ground and ensures better protection.

As such, your electrical appliances and other home devices should always be properly earthed to protect you and your home against the possible dangers of electrical accidents. But unfortunately, many homeowners don't understand the importance of proper grounding. Some may not even know if their circuits have a ground connection that runs through to the main electrical box.

In addition, they could still use extension cords that don't have a secure ground connection. Although these cords might still conduct electricity, they lack the much-needed protection from the excess ground-fault current.

Prioritize regular electrical system inspections to ensure proper electrical safety from unearthed connections. During the inspection, your electrician might also uncover other problems that you didn't know existed in the first place.

Electrical repairs or inspections shouldn't be a DIY project. If you have no professional experience with high voltage applications, don't take any risks. Instead, reach out to experienced experts like Beckstoffer-Welsh Inc.