Electrical Safety – Preventing Electrical Fires This Winter

While there are a lot of things to be happy about winter, particularly the holidays, there some that are worrisome. It’s quite dreadful to have an electrical problem in the middle of winter. Chances are, you won’t be finding an electrician in winter as you would in other seasons. That’s why fall is the perfect time to gear up for winter and make sure every single electrical component in your home is working accordingly.

Ways to ensure electrical safety and prepare for winter

Keeping your HVAC system maintained

According to statistics, one of the major causes of house fires in the United States is faulty heating. More than 50,000 home structure fires recorded in 2011-2015 alone. That figure alone is enough to urge homeowners to schedule or do their own HVAC maintenance. The heating aspect of HVAC systems is most often the culprit. That’s why you should always have the electrical components of your home heating checked out by a licensed North Myrtle Beach electrician.

Also, keep those space heaters away from any flammable surfaces. While portable space heaters can be a lifesaver in the midst of a spine-chilling winter, they can be equally dangerous. Never leave space heaters unattended. Also, be sure that you are plugging into a reliable wall outlet or extension cable to keep electrical fires at bay.

Keep your generator in check

If you have a whole-home generator installed, be sure that it is maintained properly. In some areas, power outages are not that often. However, when it occurs, power outages could last for days and the only thing that can save you is your trusty whole-home generator. On the other hand, you should keep your generator maintained as it sits idly by for most of the year. Perform required upkeep to avoid electrical issues later on.

Be careful where and with what you cook with

Just like any other day, there will be a lot of cooking done in winter. However, it’s a critical time of the year when temperatures drop below freezing. In most cases, homeowners would cook using appliances with heating elements. To avoid problems, upgrade your existing electrical outlets with GFCI outlets. Unlike your regular wall outlet, GFCI outlets offer superior safety. While your average outlet can give you a nasty shock if you are not careful, GFCIs can help prevent such occurrences.

Hire an electrician

Before winter rolls in, be sure that you ensure electrical safety in your household. This can be done through a number of precautionary measures. One of the more practical approaches you can take is to hire an electrician like NMB Electrician Pros. It is important to consider hiring a professional electrician to maintain your electrical system before winter. Problems can lurk at every corner and go out of control quickly. However, all problems can be discovered and averted when maintenance is carried out at an earlier date.

Don’t let electrical problems ruin your winter. Call NMB Electrician Pros today at (843) 491-4489 to ensure your home’s electrical safety.

NMB Electrician Pros
North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
(843) 491-4489
https://nmbelectricianpros.com
info@northmyrtlebeachhomeservices.com

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Common Signs Of Electrical Problems At Home

Familiarizing yourself with the symptoms of an electrical problem can help you fix it to prevent the situation from becoming dangerous and lead to property damage or electrocution. You might be able to repair some of these electrical concerns yourself. However, you need to be cautious when you are working with electricity. Most of the electrical issues require diagnosis and repair from a reliable and experienced electrician. Provided below are some of the most common warning signs that your house has electrical problems.

Circuit Breaker Problems

Circuit breakers are made to trip in case a circuit is overloaded. It shuts off the electrical supply to prevent fires from overheating and to avoid house fires. Breakers also trip once they are already old. Simple overloads can be the cause of occasional tripping. You can test it out by plugging a certain appliance into another circuit. You need to consult a North Myrtle Beach electrician if the circuit breaker trips frequently.

You need to have skills if you plan to work on an electrical panel. Even if the main breaker is turned off, electrical power is still flowing through the panel. You need to let an experienced electrician. Do not replace a fuse or circuit breaker with a new one that has a higher rating since this can lead to overheating or worse, fire. For houses that were constructed between the 1950s and 1990, double-check your electrical panel if your breakers are made by Federal Public. The Stab-Lok brand breakers are have deemed as unsafe. If you have this, consult an electrician right away.

Electrical Shocks

In case you feel a mild tingle or shock whenever you touch an appliance, it might be due to an incorrect electrical wiring or a ground fault in the affected appliance. In case you notice a shock after you cross a surface that is carpeted, it may be due to static, which is common during winter and is not a cause of concern. Other kinds of electrical shock should be taken seriously since surely you do not want the situation to become worse. Make electrical safety a priority by always having electrical issues fixed right away.

Hot Ceiling Fixtures

You need to regularly check the area around the light fixtures in your ceiling if it feels warm since there are some fixtures that do not have proper insulation. Apart from that, if you go beyond the maximum wattage that is recommended for a bulb, the fixture will be at risk of overheating, and this could lead to a fire hazard. You may consider using compact fluorescent light (CFL) or LED lighting as an alternative since these types of bulbs do not produce that much heat compared to incandescent bulbs.

Flickering Lights

If you notice that your lights keep on flickering, it may be a sign that it is loose or defective. In case replacing the bulb won’t solve the problem, you have to consult a reliable and licensed electrician because the problem may concern the light fixture. Additionally, the connections to the fixture or maybe the electrical wiring in your circuit breaker box might be loose. This kind of electrical concern needs professional diagnoses so that a complete and thorough electrical repair can be ensured.

Electrical Outlets or Light Switches Are Not Working

Receptacles or light switches that function intermittently is a sign of another electrical problem. The device probably has a crack inside or the wiring could be loose. In case a plug is loose in the receptacle, and an unsuspecting person comes in contact with it, he or she might accidentally get an electrical shock when the cord is unplugged. You should hire NMB Electrician Pros who will inspect the wiring and determine if there are any loose connections and replace the ones that are defective.

If you notice any of these electrical problems, be sure to get in touch with NMB Electrician Pros. Call us at (843) 491-4489 for a free estimate.

NMB Electrician Pros
North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
(843) 491-4489
https://nmbelectricianpros.com
info@northmyrtlebeachhomeservices.com

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What To Do During An Electrical Emergency

Electrical appliances have grown to be a crucial part of people’s daily lives these days. However, many of them remain unprepared when it comes to accidents related to the electrical system. Many of them even disregard the need to call an emergency electrician.

The Electrical Safety Foundation International said that there was a 15% increase in electrical fatalities during the years 2015 and 2016, which led to about 153 fatalities. The number of electrical devices will increase and add more burden to the electrical wiring of a house. If an electrical outlet is taking more current than what it is made to handle, it can lead to deadly accidents. It is true that routine maintenance can minimize the risk of emergencies, accidents may still happen. To err on the safe side of caution, hire experts like NMB Electrician Pros to keep your electrical system in good condition at all times.

To help ensure your safety, here are a few tips you need to know if you encounter an electrical emergency.

Electrical Fire

Your house has a lot of wires, which could get tangled up among one another. One primary cause of electrical fire is a short circuit. You need to have a proper emergency response procedures to make sure that you and your family are safe. The first thing you have to do is cut off the power. Locate your home’s breaker box and flip that switch to cut off the power supply to your house. Avoid using faulty electrical appliances because they can pose a risk especially if the wires have been damaged or some of the components of the affected appliance have overheated. Don’t forget your fire extinguisher. It will always be your first line of defense. You should also install smoke detectors in areas like the kitchen and basement.

Electrocution

Electrocution can damage bone ligaments, tissues, and important organs of the body. You need to have a plan set in place in case of an electrical shock. First is to avoid contact with it. In case someone has come in contact with electricity and is about to get electrocuted, don’t touch him or her because you will just serve as another pathway for the electrical current. Call for backup right away and try to cut off the source of electricity. If you have kids, be sure to cover your electrical outlets, especially the ones that are low lying. You should also consider installing a safety switch, which will shut the circuit off in case it detects an electrical problem.

Power Outage

There are several reasons why blackouts and power failures happen. It can be due to variables that you cannot control like a natural disaster or those that are in your control like poorly configured electrical appliances, faulty wiring, and shorting. There are things you can do to protect your home and family in case of a power failure. The first thing you have to do is check the circuit breaker and determine if it has tripped due to a short circuit. There are ways to fix this but it is still better to hire a North Myrtle Beach emergency electrician. Install surge protectors. Once power returns to your house, there will be a surge of energy to your electrical devices which could reduce their longevity or damage the appliances. If you install a surge protector, you will be able to prevent a sudden jolt of electricity that could fry out the components of your electrical appliances.

Call NMB Electrician Pros if you are having an electrical emergency. You may reach us at (843) 491-4489.

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