An electrical fire can occur because of bad wiring in your home or an overloaded circuit. Many of the homes in Rochester, MN are older and use outdated fuse boxes that can also cause a fire to break out. While using smoke detectors can alert you to the fire, there are also some helpful tips to prevent electrical fires from occurring.
Check Your Cords
If you have any electrical items in your home, check the cords that provide power to them. Any appliances or devices that have frayed or damaged cords are a fire risk. You’ll also want to use caution if the cord seems too light or does not want to go into an outlet. Don’t forget about extension cords either. You should never run multiple cords to power your holiday decorations or heaters during cold Rochester winters. Use only one extension cord per outlet.
Install Surge Protectors
Surge protectors come in handy during a power outage. They can prevent your computer from dying and help you save any valuable files you saved on the device. Surge protectors can also help you prevent electrical fires. Look for one that has built-in overload protection. If the protector gets too hot, it will turn itself off. Older surge protectors lack this feature and can cause a fire to occur, especially if use all of the available outlets on it.
Turn Off Electrical Devices
Dell made headlines when the company had laptop batteries that exploded. The batteries exploded and burst into flames, occurring occasionally while the owners slept. There were similar issues found with a few cellphones over the years. As you cannot always keep an eye on your devices, you should turn them off and/or unplug them when you do not use them. This includes laptops and desktops, as well as tablets and small appliances like a slow cooker or toaster.
Get an Inspection
An easy way to prevent electrical fires is with a complete electrical inspection. The inspector will look at your entire system and make note of any problems found. You can even find out what changes you need to make as soon as possible and what upgrades can wait a few months or longer. The inspection may determine that you need a panel repair if the electrical panel shows signs of damage. Older Rochester homes, like those in the historic Pill Hill district, often need a panel replacement due to their age.
Keep Your Home Safe
Electrical fires can range from minor fires that you put out in minutes to intense fires that require help from the fire department. Learn how to keep your home safe and protect your family when you contact Paxton Electrical for an inspection of your electrical panel.
