Comprehensive Safety Checklist for Electrical Outlets
Working around electrical outlets requires constant alertness. A lot of things can go wrong and result in serious injuries. For this reason, taking precautions is crucial. Here we review how people handle electrical outlets safely and keep them in good condition.
Here are some primary protection measures to take when working with electrical outlets and how to keep them from causing potential harm.
What is proper electrical outlet maintenance?
Electrical outlets can bring about many issues and even lead to house fires. Luckily, most adverse scenarios caused by outlets can be prevented. Consider the following preemptive measures:
Check all connections at least once a year
Look for any traces of corrosion and looseness since they can turn electrical outlets into potential hazards. If repairing or replacing connections looks too dangerous, call professional electricians to step in.
Add safety measures
Installing safety devices, such as AFCIs (arc-fault circuit interrupters) or GFCI outlets (ground-fault circuit interrupters), will prevent disasters. For instance, GFCI outlets cut power if there’s a ground fault. Similarly, AFCIs identify arc faults, often cause fires, and breaking circuits before a fire occurs.
Install plastic covers and child-safety plugs
Add plastic covers over electrical outlets to keep water from entering and lower the risk of corrosion.
Don’t forget to add child-safety plugs to electrical outlets. They are an excellent way to highlight to your children the dangers of touching electrical outlets and that they’re not allowed to play around them.
Replace faulty switches and outlets
Replacing faulty, old switches and electrical outlets is one of the simplest electrical improvements homeowners can make in their home. Faulty switches and outlets can result in electric shocks and outlet fires, necessitating their replacement.
Luckily, this process is relatively quick and straightforward in most cases. If there have been previous smoking outlets, sparks coming from outlets, or an outlet fire, shut down the power to the affected outlet. Reach out to an electrician to inspect all electrical components in the house for extensive damage that needs addressing.
How to work safely around electrical outlets and other components
Working on electrical outlets on your own instead of hiring a professional is ill-advised. You could sustain severe injuries during the process or suffer even worse consequences.
However, if you decide to inspect connections or do some electrical work, never work around live wires. Any electrical job, ranging from changing outlets to wiring new additions, should always be preceded by flipping the proper breaker in the circuit box. Even though this is common sense, many people tend to skip this step and risk their safety in the process.
Don’t play with fire
Electricity and electrical outlets shouldn’t be taken lightly. Inspect the condition of electrical components regularly, and should you embark on an electrical DIY project, take precautionary measures to ensure safety.
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