Safety - Tips & Tricks

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Faulty electrical systems are dangerous.

Federal Pacific "Stab-Lok" panels are listed as Defective by Home Inspectors.

Service Panel Upgrade: When to upgrade?

  • Old fuse box
  • Circuit breakers keep tripping
  • Diming of lights
  • Water intrusion
  • Rusted panel or Meter base
 

Safety Tips

  • Never touch anything electrical when you have wet hands.
  • If power is lost during a storm, turn off or unplug electrical appliances so that there's not a power surge when the electricity comes back on.
  • If there's flooding, watch out for water around electrical items, and never use appliances if they're wet.
  • If outlets or switches feel warm, shut off the circuit and have them checked by an electrician.
  • Replace or repair loose or frayed cords on all electrical devices.
  • Avoid running extension cords across doorways or under carpets.
  • In homes with small children, unused wall sockets and extension-cord receptacles should have plastic safety covers.
  • Consider having additional circuits or outlets added by a qualified electrician so you do not have to use extension cords.
  • Follow the manufacturer's instructions for plugging an appliance into a receptacle outlet.
  • Avoid overloading outlets. Plug only one high-wattage appliance into each receptacle outlet at a time.
  • If outlets or switches feel warm, shut off the circuit and have them checked by an electrician.
  • When possible, avoid the use of "cube taps" and other devices that allow the connection of multiple appliances into a single receptacle.
  • Place lamps on level surfaces, away from things that can burn and use bulbs that match the lamp's recommended wattage.
  • Never touch anything electrical when you have wet hands.
  • Don’t use electrical appliances such as hair dryers or radios in a wet place or near water
  • If power is lost during a storm, turn off or unplug electrical appliances so that there’s not a power surge when the electricity comes back on.
  • If there’s flooding, watch out for water around electrical items, and never use appliances if they’re wet.
  • Never play with kites or toy planes near overhead power lines.
  • If a toy happens to get caught in a power line, don’t attempt to remove it yourself.
  • Never prune trees that are near power lines, yourself.

Electrical Circuit Interrupters

Protective devices capable of responding to overloads and short circuit, such as circuit breakers, have been available for a number of years. Newer technologies now provide enhanced protection from arcing or ground-faults, which may prevent fires or shock.

AFCIs (arc-fault circuit-interrupters)

When an electrical switch is opened or closed, an arc, or discharge of electricity across a circuit, occurs. Unintentional arcs can occur at loose connections or where wires or cords have been damaged. Such arcs can lead to high temperatures and sparking, possibly igniting combustibles. AFCIs (arc-fault circuit-interrupters) protect against fire by continuously monitoring the electrical current in a circuit and shutting off the circuit when unintended arcing occurs. These devices are designed to discriminate between unintended arcing and the type of arcing that occurs when a switch is operated.

GFCIs (ground-fault circuit-interrupters)

A ground-fault is an unintentional electrical path between a source of electrical current and a grounded surface. Electrical shock can occur if a person comes into contact with an energized part. GFCIs (ground-fault circuit-interrupters) can greatly reduce the risk of shock by immediately shutting off an electrical circuit when that circuit represents a shock hazard (i.e., a person comes in contact with a faulty appliance together with a grounded surface). GFCIs can be installed in a circuit breaker panelboard or directly in a receptacle outlet.

Facts and figures

  • AFCI installation is required by the National Electrical Code® (NEC) in bedrooms of new residential construction (effective as of January 1, 2002). Bedrooms were selected as the first area in which to implement this requirement because of a history of fires there.
  • GFCI installation is required by the NEC for receptacles in kitchens, bathrooms, outdoor areas, basements and garages in new residential construction because of a history of shock hazards in these areas.

Safety tips

  • All AFCIs and GFCIs, whether circuit-type or breaker-type, should be installed by a qualified electrician.
  • Test AFCIs and GFCIs after installation and once a month thereafter to make sure they are working properly.
  • Replace defective AFCIs and GFCIs immediately. A defective device may create a false sense of security to those who do not know that it is non-functional.

Choose AFCIs and GFCIs that carry the label of an independent testing laboratory and always follow the manufacturer's instructions.

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