Category: Electrical Safety

It’s here. The kids dread it. You love it. It’s back to school season! But now it’s your turn to get schooled too. This article will teach you all you need to know about the basics of electrical safety.

From cord safety to childproofing, we’ve got you covered. Consider this your study guide for all things electrical, and transform your home into an even safer space for you and your family.

DIY Solutions May Not Be Best

Although you may think your electrical system is extra complex, there are many things you can do around your home to ensure you and your family are safe from an electric mishap.

These things are simple fixes that we know we were always told but we sometimes forget. Here are some major do’s and don’ts for when you tackle those at-home electrical projects.

• Don’t overload your circuits: One easy way to avoid an electrical outage, surge, or worse, a fire, is to be aware of the amount of power your circuits can handle. By overloading your circuits and plugging too many high power appliances in at once, you run the risk of quickly harming your electrical system.
• Don’t take on a project that is too advanced for your skillset: If you’re here reading Electrical 101, that probably means you aren’t ready to rewire your whole home. Truthfully evaluate the project at hand and whether you have the expertise to complete it. If you have any doubts, it is probably much safer to call a professional.
• Do turn off the power before starting your project: And I mean completely switch off the breaker before attempting to work with any wiring or circuitry in your home. This will save you a shock or full-on electrocution.

With these tips in mind, your project should run smoothly as long as you have at least a general understanding of how your electric system works.

The Importance of Smoke Alarms

An integral part of your electrical system and your safety is the smoke detector. These tiny machines save lives every single day by alerting families of minor and major fires in their homes.

To make sure your smoke alarm is functioning correctly, check the batteries at least once every month. Then make sure to replace them if the alarm does not sound.

You should replace your smoke alarms about every 10 years to be sure that the technology is up to date. If you live in a large home, you may need to have multiple smoke alarms in places like the kitchen and bedrooms.

Don’t let this life-saving device go to waste in your home. Keep up with your smoke alarms just as you would with the rest of your favorite home appliances.

Baby-Proofing Your Home

Perhaps the most important lesson to take away from this article is that your electrical safety needs can change depending on your specific situation.

Here are some ways to get ready if you will be bringing a new baby into the home. Be aware of your outlet plugs.

These can be a choking hazard for your baby and should only be in the home if they are too big to be a choking hazard. Don’t purchase outlet plugs that are colorful, as these will attract the baby to the outlet. Tamper-resistant outlets aren’t necessarily childproof.

Although these outlets require two objects inserted at equal pressure to connect electrically, these are not necessarily childproof. A child may still be able to activate the electric current, and this could potentially harm the child. Now that you’ve had a refresher on the basics of electrical safety, share this article with friends so that they can get schooled too!

You can occasionally skip a tooth cleaning. Maybe you can skip a meeting at the office that’s not mandatory. You can skip a haircut, a manicure, a date, meeting up with friends, perhaps even nightly dental flossing, or a trip to the gym. What can’t you skip? For your safety and to protect your home, you absolutely cannot skip electrical services with a licensed electrician.

Doing so can land you in serious trouble - while also opening your home to risks and dangers no one would want to deal with. So before you start trying that new DIY fix you saw on YouTube, read on to learn the real risks of poorly done electrical fixes.

Finding The Right Electrician For Your Home

Finding the right electrician for your home goes beyond looking through the Yellow Pages and selecting a contractor at random.

It means getting to know your electrician and, ideally, building a friendship with them.

You want to be able to trust your electrician, and follow his or her advice and instructions without questioning their motives. You also want to be sure that they’re licensed and insured.

More important than a friendship is protecting the largest investment in your life - your home. Before scheduling an appointment, be sure to read up on the ins and outs you need for your project to get the best results.

Electrician Near Me: Finding Local Contractors

In addition to having a trusted, go-to electrician, you should also be familiar with an electrician who lives and works in close proximity to your home.

If you’re dealing with an issue like a blown fuse or electrical panel, which can put your family at risk, you want to be sure you’re getting fast response times and reliable solutions.

Many electrical companies post their service area as a way for you to determine whether they work for your home location or not. Even if they do work in your area, be sure that drive isn’t too long, as any downtime is dangerous for your home an family.

The Pitfalls of DIY

Home improvement TV shows and the internet make virtually any and all DIY project seem doable.

From simple bathroom tile replacement to intricate wiring, often, projects are taken that should only be done by licensed contractors.

The most dangerous home improvement projects that should never be undertaken as DIY projects by untrained, unlicensed professionals. While through the magic of editing, unseen staff members and plenty of off-camera work, home renovations often look as easy as reorganizing a closet, it is extremely dangerous for an unlicensed person with no training as an electrician to attempt to do any electrical work.

Whether it’s rewiring a house or installing pool lighting, these projects can cause serious injury, up to and including death. When it comes to electrical work, don’t attempt to do it yourself no matter how easy some guy on TV makes it look. Hire a professional contractor.

Look, we all are guilty of skipping certain activities that we consider unnecessary. However, having regular electrical service, maintenance and inspections done by a professional contractor are not optional services that can be skipped. Don’t even think about it.

Just because you know a little bit about how the circuit breaker and what an AMP is, and perhaps you know how to replace a fuse, you are far from an expert. Your home’s electrical wiring needs to be inspected on a regular basis. Why?

Because faulty wiring causes fires. It can also cause shortages which essentially fry all of your electrical appliances. Don’t be irresponsible, and don’t attempt to do it yourself. Give Trustworthy Electric of Montgomery, Alabama a call for all your service needs.

The easiest way to avoid getting seriously injured on a DIY electrical repair is to not do it, to begin with! When it comes to DIY fixes in the home, electrical repairs are the most dangerous.

Not only can they hurt you, but also they can damage your home and put your family at risk. Professional electricians undergo constant training, education, and use the latest tools to offer a high-quality job with every service.

A simple miswiring can send your home up in flames in a matter of minutes. As a homeowner safety should always be a top priority, and you can easily avoid those issues with some professional care.

What Are The Electrical Hazards of DIY Fixes

If you’re still on the fence as to whether or not an electrical repair is well within your range of expertise, consider the dangers of the job. Some common injuries include:

• Electrical shock
• Wire arc
• Fire damage
• Falling ceiling fans
• Hot outlets and switches
• Overloaded electrical panels
• Damage to fixtures and appliances

What most people think about when it comes to electrical repairs is the risk of electrocution - and it is a major concern. Why? Depending on the size of the electrical surge, it could be a simple shock on your fingers or enough to send you to the hospital.

It’s not uncommon for an electrical shock to be bad enough to cause death. Additionally, if the wiring is not installed properly, you could be damaging your appliances.

Imagine investing in a new smart fridge or range, only to have it burn out in a matter of days. The same can be said about a ceiling fan. If the wires are not installed properly, that fan can easily fall on you or your family.

The Right Electrical Safety Equipment For The Job

Professional electricians have more than knowhow - they also have a full range of tools that make repairs safe. One of the most common tools in any set is a voltage meter.

These small tools allow for an electrician to check outlets, wires, and connections to determine whether or not voltage is reaching them. This not only helps them diagnose a problem but also it can keep them safe before addressing any repair.

Similarly, for those hard to reach projects, an electrician may use fish tape. Similarly to a plumbing auger, fish tape allows an electrician to easily thread a new wire through tight spaces.

Also, they may have a wire stripper too, which allows for easy wire preparation and installation. This equipment allows them to properly perform repairs and upgrades while also keeping your home safe.

Call Your Local Electrician

Before you strap on your tool belt and try a repair on your own, be sure to give your local electrician a call.

They’re trained and skilled to offer you the best service around, and often offer emergency care when you need it most. For homeowners in Montgomery, Trustworthy Electric is here to help.

We offer detailed advice and expertise, so you can have peace of mind in your home. And to do your part for homeowners and family in the neighborhood, be sure to share this blog, it could keep them safe too!

It would be a large understatement to say that some people use electricity during their day. In reality, most people in the world handle electric and electronic objects without giving it a second thought.

However, because of a lack of electrical research, many little myths make their way into our "common knowledge." But here we are ready to disband these while helping you and your family stray away from the dangers that can come from believing anything out there.

Rubber Shoe Safety

Ever catch yourself in a shocky situation and think nothing could possibly go wrong? Because of your ... shoes? Maybe even gloves!

Now, don't get us wrong, rubber is definitely a good insulator, but not all shoes or gloves are made the same. Because these are wearable products, many times, the materials are mixed with other things for comfort and durability.

If your shoes are not 100% rubber, they could be conductors rather than insulators. So it's best not to take your chances. Unless they are specific safety shoes, made for professional usage, you should not trust a random pair of nice crocs when it comes to using proper insulation.

The Speed of Electricity

Although for some it may be more than obvious, light and electricity are not the same thing. Yes yes, electricity can be bright and this is why we use it in light bulbs, see it in lightning, and even witness it in our own TV screens.

But the reason the speed of light is a known theory is that it is just that, the speed of light, not electrons and not electromagnetic waves.

Electricity itself can travel through a conductor close to the speed of light, but sometimes it can travel half of that, depending on the object it is traveling through. As for the electrons themselves, they are literally moving centimeters per second, nothing close to the speed of light. So in reality, this myth by association is nothing but a lie.

Static & Outlet Electricity Are Different

NOT! Simply put, electricity is electricity no matter what band it belongs to. Even though rubbing your feet on a carpet, hair on a balloon, or a simple fingertip touch may seem entirely different from electrocution, all these forms of electricity are the same.

Your body is absorbing the same type of current that it would if it was receiving it from your microwave outlet. Of course, there is one major difference that makes static safer, per se. The non-continuation of the current.

While stuck on an outlet, it may be hard to pull back because voltage does not stop until the cable (or you) is unplugged. However when dealing with static electricity, only a small charge is sent through your body, and thus you do not suffer a great deal. It is best though, to not keep incentivizing it for entertainment purposes.