10 Important Electrical Safety Tips In Indian Homes
As a homeowner, we need to know how to play it safe when it comes to our electricals!
In this article, we discuss some very critical electrical safety tips to stay safe while we enjoy the convenience that comes with electricity!
You need to ensure that anything ‘electrical’ must form an important part of maintenance and upkeep!
Not handling electric maintenance carefully can be very dangerous. Most accidents happen due to a sheer lack of electrical safety tips.
By being aware, and taking the right measures, you can prevent accidents that happen due to avoidable oversights and negligence!
Electrical Safety Tips at Home
1. Ensure that your electrical devices are working fine, and are maintained well
- Short circuits in the electrical system happen when the electrical devices we use don’t work properly
- A simple thing like ‘not plugging out electrical gadgets/devices properly’ is a major cause of short circuits
- What is a short circuit: As per technical definition it is ‘an electrical circuit in a device of lower resistance than that of a normal circuit, especially one resulting from the unintended contact of components and consequent accidental diversion of the current.’
- Equipment must be working well and must be plugged in properly
- Electrical equipment of all kinds must remain in top condition, and must always be checked for malfunctions
2. Avoiding short circuit
- To do so, we must know how a ‘short circuit’ is caused- It happens usually with (a) pests chewing through wires, (b) water coming into contact with electrical wiring, (c) loose connections in electrical boxes, (d) old or damaged outlets, switches, lights, appliances, other devices, (e) nails or screws coming into contact with wires unintentionally, (f) deterioration of electrical cable sheathing over time, (g) surges in electric current
3. Switch off the main power
- Power must be switched-off while repairing or maintenance of any electrical system
- This helps avoid any major electrical shock or accident
- Major or even minor electrical maintenance activities are better done in a power-off mode
- For small works, one must at least switch off the plug point while undertaking any work
4. Heated-up power outlets to be checked
- A heated-up warm power outlet is a signal of problems. It can be due to overload of an electrical circuit, or even incorrect flow of current due to wiring or circuit issues
- The solution for electrical safety is to check all the power electric outlets in the house periodically (once a month)
- A simple activity of just placing your hand on the outlets can help you gauge if the connection or outlet is heating-up
- One should also be careful about the smell of a burning or heating wire
5. Keeping a fire extinguisher handy
- A fire extinguisher handy in your apartment is good
- You can immediately douse the fire if it ever sparks
- Water happens to be a good conductor of electricity, hence, it cannot be used to put off electric fire
6. Replace and discard older appliances
- Old appliances might develop Earthing issues due to normal wear & tear
- This increases the risk of shock as you use your electrical devices
- Your appliances must have 3-pin plugs with a functioning Earthing wire
- No kitchen or other appliances should be having a 2-pin plug, which does not have Earthing wire. This is something that happens a lot in Indian households, and we do not really bother much about Earthing wire for many daily-use gadgets including things like study-table, hairdryers, kitchen appliances, etc.
7. Expert Intervention
- Not to undertake repair of heavy machines or use crude methods to get something started
- Seek the professional help of the right mechanic or electrician for unique electrical safety tips and needs
8. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters
- GFCI is an electrical safety device that helps shut off the electrical current from a circuit whenever it detects a shock hazard
- GFCI protection is required in bathrooms, garages, outdoor receptacles, crawl spaces, basements, kitchens, and anything that is close to a sink or water source
- In the bathroom, kitchen and laundry they certainly help avoid mishaps
9. Using extension cords for long durations is a bad idea
- Extension cords must not be made permanent
- They are not meant to be a permanent source of power and can be used only on a temporary basis
- If prolonged use is required, then it is better to install a power outlet
10. Overloading
- Overloading a single outlet is a bad idea
- Every power outlet can handle only a certain amount of energy
- Burdening a single outlet with Multiple high-wattage appliances plugged in can be highly unsafe
- It is better to install a new outlet and to relieve excessive stress on a single outlet alone
Electrical work can be fraught with hazards if handled unprofessionally. It is desirable to seek the services of professionals to take care of what each one is an expert at!
Attempting to do everything on your own, especially, electrical work can be a bad choice at times.
So, hire a trusted electrician or a professional who knows about the systems and the gadgets/devices. This will keep your family safe and happy!
It’s never too bad to err on the side of awareness and precaution!
‘Precautions are always blamed. When successful they are said to be unnecessary.’
– Benjamin Jowett
To know more about “Must-Know Basics Of Electricals For An Indian Home Buyer- Part I” Click here!
