Household Electrical Safety Inspection
This is why electrical safety inspections are important and necessary
Is the electrical system in your home working properly? In this case, you may not see the need for an electrical safety inspection of the wiring, sockets and devices. Regardless of how well your system may appear to work, it is still important and necessary to perform regular inspections. Ensuring it continues to operate efficiently and to avoid underlying electrical issues that you may not notice from getting worse.
Unfortunately, electrical hazards such as electrical fires can occur quickly and provide very few warning signs. Here are some very important steps you can take to avoid a catastrophic electrical problem for both your home and your pocket.
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Inspection of switches
Home circuit breakers are automated electrical switches that are capable of interrupting the current flow of electricity when signs of an electrical hazard appear. In the event of an overloaded circuit, the switches immediately cut off the flow, or “trip,” to prevent damage to the wiring or devices to which they are connected.
Everyone has experienced a breaker tripping and an occasional event shouldn’t be a cause for concern, but if your home’s circuit breakers start tripping frequently, it can be a sign of something worse you may be dealing with, including a circuit overload, short circuit or ground fault spikes.
An overloaded circuit can occur when there are multiple appliances or devices connected to a circuit that simply cannot provide enough power at all. This can cause the circuit to overload, overheat, or even cause a fire. If your switch is faulty and cannot do its job properly, this can easily result in an electrical fire.
A short circuit occurs when a live wire meets a neutral wire. This contact causes too much electrical current to flow through the circuit, producing more heat than the circuit can handle. Electrical fault spikes occur when a hot wire contacts a ground wire. Therefore, it produces a situation similar to a short circuit. This can also become a serious electrical hazard. Consequently, it is extremely important to undergo a regular inspection of the switches.
Inspection of the sockets
If your home outlets are not properly and frequently maintained, they can provide a multitude of problems. Sockets are the source of electricity for home appliances and have a variety of moving parts that can wear out over time. This wear can cause friction and accumulation of heat which can ultimately lead to interruption or tripping of the circuit.
Some signs that plugs need to be repaired or replaced may be when the outlet gets hot, when you notice an unpleasant burning smell, if the outlet becomes loose in the wall, or if the outlet breaks and / or discolors. All of these scenarios can lead to electrical problems that you will definitely want to avoid for economic and safety reasons. We suggest you do a thorough electrical inspection if you encounter any of these problems with your sockets.
Your electrical service panel contains the circuit breakers or fuses of your home’s electrical system. It is important to inspect your service panel frequently, even if there are no problems. A problem with your service panel could be costly and a serious security risk.
Some things to take into consideration when trying to avoid problems with the service panel are the age of the panel, the humidity around the panel and the inadequate space. An old panel that is not up to date and exhibits enormous wear may not function properly. This causes a number of potential problems. The humidity around the panel can be particularly dangerous since humidity and electrical work certainly do not mix well. Having inadequate space for your panel can also be dangerous if you can’t access it in an electrical emergency. Call Preston Electrician.