electrical safety

Electrical Safety Tips for Your Home

A quick check around the home can keep you and your family safe around electrical equipment.

 

Check Electrical Wiring and Appliances

Power Sockets

Check they’re not overloaded or damaged. Overloaded sockets can overheat and possibly cause a fire.

Appliances

Check that cables and leads are in good condition.Switch off and unplug any electrical items not in use.

Laundry

Clean out the filter on the washing machine and remove lint from the dryer filter.

Lighting

Check that light fittings are in good working order and replace any broken or blown bulbs. Consider upgrading to LED lighting if fittings are in poor condition. LEDs last much longer than halogen or incandescent lamps and only cost a fraction to run.

 

Don’t Forget to Check your Smoke Alarms

Smoke Alarms

Check and test the batteries of all your smoke alarms better still replace the batteries and write the date on them so you know when you replaced them.

 

Outside the home

Electric Lawn Mowers & Electrical Garden Tools

Spring is great time to enjoy the garden and many people buy new electrical appliances to help with the gardening. Make sure you have an RCD (Residual Current Detector) in your power point. This will prevent you from being electrocuted in the event you accidentally cut the cord.

Spa Pool

Check that the socket, lead and cables are in good condition. If you’re thinking of getting a spa you’ll need to install either an outdoor power socket, or an isolation switch with the correct rating, i.e. 10, 15, or 20A.

Campervan / Caravan

If you want to charge your campervan/caravan’s house batteries while it’s parked up you’ll need to install either an outdoor power socket, or an isolation switch with the correct rating, i.e. 10, 15, or 20A.

Watering the Garden

If you’re a keen gardener you’ll want to make sure your plants are watered regularly. This can be time consuming and hard to arrange when you’re away. Water timers are good for watering plants when you’re not around and nothing beats having an automated mains powered garden irrigation system.