In Australia when we receive a blackout in the home is generally when most of us think about the power that runs our homes. We don’t think about the enormous amounts of electricity surging through the family home. You may not realise it, but you may have electrical issues in your home that could be looming over your property. This may even be threatening your life or that of your family.
Electrical Fires are a Major Cause of House Fires
Electrical anomalies are a major cause of house fires in Australia. Around 12 000 house fires occur each year in Australia and an average of 50 – 60 people will die from house related fires and this is not including injuries. Electrical fires are on the increase due to the number of electrical appliances we have running in the home in the modern age.
In many cases homes that are 20 years or older and that have not had a professional electrical safety inspection are more prone to electrical hazards. Currently more, electrical appliances are running in the home. Therefore, homes in Australia must be able to sustain the increased demand on power. This means having a professional electrician check faulty switches and outlets.
Homes 20 Years or Older Need Qualified Electrical Safety Inspections
In general, homes built 20 years ago or more should have the wiring inspected by a certified electrical contractor Perth. On an electrical level, older homes in Australia when built were not prepared for increases in technology. These days we have smart TV’s, gaming devices, computers, tablets and our smartphones. These devices are standard these days in the family home. Then on top of this, we need to consider all the other appliances in the kitchen, bathroom, lounge rooms, and bedrooms.
Westline Electrical Services has put together some essential information to help avoid electrical house fires. Westline Electrical Services is one of Perth’s leading and most prominent electrical contracting companies.
Let’s look at some of the ways a destructive electrical house fire can be avoided.
5 Ways to Avoid an Electrical Fire in the Home
1 Sub-Standard Wiring
Faulty wires can corrode or commonly become loose in outlets and switches. This is one of the main causes of electrical fires. We strongly advise contacting a professional electrical safety inspector to check the wiring in your home for overloading, breaks, corrosion, and wiring in outlets. A professional electrical inspector should be able to advise on essential improvements to electrical safety in your home. If you would like more information on what you should receive or expect from a professional electrical inspection on a residential property. Then please see information on the blog section of our website.
2 Faulty Switches and Outlets
If you have lights that are flickering or connections that are making buzzing or humming sounds. If you are seeing sparks when entering plugs into outlets. These issues are extremely hazardous. We advise contacting a trained and licensed electrician without hesitation as they are common causes or instigators of devastating electrical fires.
3 Old Appliances
Old appliances that are not up to standard are a huge factor in electrical house fires. These appliances can or tend to have frayed cords and broken or impaired plugs. Older appliances will draw more power than modern outlets are made to take. If you do have older appliances with frayed cords. Please note that this will increase heat and can ignite carpets and other materials such as curtains. We strongly advise removing and replacing these types of appliances.
4 Lights and Lamps
You may not know this but when you use a bulb that exceeds that the standard wattage limit. This increases the chance of an electrical fire. Take note if light fixtures flicker or make sounds they shouldn’t. Contact a licensed electrician today.
Lamps can also be a cause of electrical house fires. Lamps can sometimes be made of flammable materials. If a lamp is channeling too much heat. This can lead to a situation you may want to avoid. Lamps that are made of paper in our experience are, not the best choice. If you have antique light fixtures you should have them examined for faulty wiring if you haven’t already.
5 Extension Cords
When using extension cords it’s a good idea to use common sense. Firstly, we advise that extension cords should not be used as permanent features in the home. Most of the time extension cords are perfectly safe to implement or use. However, if you are prone to overloading them by placing too many appliances into one single cord. This can lead possibly to dangerous results. We advise not doing this to avoid a potential electrical fire.
We hope you have found this information informative.
If you are a Perth resident and require any electrical support including fault finding, approved and certified electrical safety inspections for your home or business. Please don’t hesitate to contact us.
For other electrical information, you can obtain detailed information on our website as well as tips and advice on our blog section.
Contact us today on (08) 9220 5201
