Appliance Safety in the Home

Over the next few days, the heat in south east is expected to reach record figures, so many of us will be hunting through our lofts and cupboards, looking for that old desk fan that been stored in there since the last time the sun came out.

So how do you know if your prehistoric fan is still safe to plug in? Well there’s a few basic checks you can do to see if it safe before you plug it in.

• First of all, check over the fan making sure there’s no way of touching any exposed electrical parts or circuitry.
• Check the lead for signs of damage or brakes.
• Are there any signs of burning?
• Is the plug secure on the fan, are the pins straight?
• Are there any broken parts or does the fan have excessive signs of wear and tear?

Once the fan is plugged in and that gust of cool air doesn’t materialise, it might worth checking to see if the fuse has been borrowed for something else.

If it causes your fuse box to trip, unplug it put it straight in the bin and buy a new one or even better give us a call and get some ceiling fans installed in your home.

Other appliances

We often also get quite a few calls regarding other non-fan appliances within the home, normally customers are enquiring about whether the electrical system may be at fault or is it that toaster causing ‘my fuse box to trip’.

The best course of action if you suspect an appliance is faulty is stop using it and unplug it straight away! But if that trip switch just won’t reset it may be a fault with your homes electrics in which case give us a call.

Quite a few house fires are caused by faulty or miss use of appliances, many of these could easily be prevented by taking a few simple precautions, see below for some hints and tips which may help out.

• Do not pull electrical appliances out of sockets by the cable, always switch off the socket pull from the plug from the socket. This avoids any damage to the flexible cable.
• Never plug adaptors into adapters. In fact, avoid adapters completely and opt for
  extension leads. The same rule applies though, never plug an extension lead into an
  extension lead, and limit the use of extension leads where possible.
• Don’t over load extension leads, have a look here to much can be plugged in at any one time Socket Overload Calculator | JJB Electrical Ltd (jjb-electrical.com)
• Switch off electrical appliances when not in use. This is especially important at night
  time as a fire could start undetected from an appliance that is still plugged in. When
  you go away on holiday, ensure that all none-essential items are unplugged to minimise the risk of electrical fire and to save energy.
• Do not use any electrical items in the bathroom, as this is highly dangerous, particularly hair dryers which could easily fall into bath of water. The exceptions to this would be for items designed specifically for use in bathrooms, these being items such as shavers and electric toothbrushes, even when using these, take extra care when plugging and unplugging sockets and take care not to get such items wet.
• Check the cords on electrical appliances, particularly to ensure the plug is securely in
  place and there are no obvious signs of damage on the cable itself. If any damage is found, do not use the appliance. Check items regularly.
• Always turn electrical appliances off at the mains before attempting to carry out any
  maintenance such as changing a light bulb, cleaning filters on hair dryers and or just some general cleaning.
• Only attempt repairs if you know what you are doing.
• Ensure that when purchasing electrical items, they are brought from reputable sources and inspect the appliance before use. Ensure the instructions are followed for correct set up.
• Do not use electrical appliances outside if it is raining.
   

By following these simple tips when using electrical equipment, you will minimise your risk of shock or electrical fire breaking out in your home.

Remember if in doubt do not take any risks and consult your local registered electrician as soon as possible. The sooner the problem is rectified, the cheaper it is to repair.

If you have concerns about the electrical system within in your home or want some extra sockets give us a call on 07742485307

Your Local Electricians in Broxbourne