Spring is upon us, and with it come important spring electrical safety tips to keep in mind. After all, spring is one of the best times to start thinking about how safe your electrical system is. Spring cleaning can easily include getting rid of unused, non-working electrical items.
When anything is amiss with your wiring, you’re running the risk of property damage, as well as injury. The sooner you develop good electrical safety habits, the better. Read on to learn more about what to keep in mind.
Being Cautious About Power Lines is One of the Most Important Spring Electrical Safety Tips to Keep in Mind
Power lines surround us, but it’s easy for them to easily be “out of sight, out of mind.” However, there are some important things to remember when encountering power lines, including:
- Never allowing ladders to lean on them
- Avoiding contact using tools and objects
- Refraining from allowing kites or drones to fly near them
- Never touch downed power lines under any circumstances
Any trees near power lines ought to be kept trimmed back. However, this is a task that you shouldn’t undertake yourself. Getting the assistance of a professional will help you avoid undesired circumstances.
Checking Your Outlets is Also Key to Safety
Another of the most important spring electrical safety tips to keep in mind is checking your electrical outlets for safety issues, including overcrowding. Some of the things to look for include:
- Outlets that are too full
- Excessively dusty or pet hair-clogged
- Moisture damage
- Exposed wires
- Cracks in the outlet
If any of the outlet’s faceplates or broken or cracked, replacement is recommended. Checking each to make sure it fits snugly in the outlet is a helpful precaution. Besides making sure none of the faceplates are loose, it’s also a good idea to make sure all the screws are intact.
If any of your outlets use adapters, checking these outlets for signs of overuse is a good idea. Kitchen outlets are among some of the ones most likely to be overused, so these should be given some attention, especially in older homes.
Checking Out Existing Cords is One of the Spring Electrical Safety Tips to Keep in Mind
Checking your home’s cords is a helpful task to add to our spring cleaning routine. If you use extension cords for anything, these should also get some attention.
When you check your cords, looking for signs of visible damage is helpful. Some of the damage to look for include:
- Chewing by pets or household pests
- Frays or tears in the cord’s insulation
- Exposed wires in any of the cords
At the least, these types of conditions could cause shocks resulting in injury. At the worst, damaged cords could spark electrical fires. Prevention is always far better than the consequences!
Make Use of Surge Protectors for Valuable Devices
One of the important spring electrical safety tips to keep in mind is that surge protectors are a must for many types of electronics. Power surges, common during severe thunderstorms or during peak usage times for air conditioners, can easily damage some electronics.
Surge protectors work somewhat simply, pulling the extra electricity to the grounding for the outlet. When a surge hits, you’ll be less likely to have your valuable electronics destroyed.
An option that may work in some homes is having a surge protector that protects the entire home’s electrical system. This solution is something that electricians can easily install.
Although electrical issues are a major headache, they are easy to stop before they get too serious, contact Teague Electric and we’ll be glad to help. We know what solutions will be best for your circumstances, so you don’t need to worry.
Important spring electrical safety tips to keep in mind help ensure that the wiring in your home is always safe. The better maintained you keep everything, the fewer problems you will deal with down the road.
