Electrical Safety at home

Electricity is an integral part of modern life in the developed world. People use it from the moment they wake up and switch on a light, and throughout the day in a whole host of ways. Even when we go to bed at night, we are still using electricity, for example, for our fridge freezers and for the alarm clock to wake us up in the morning.

We rarely stop to think about our electricity usage because it is so easy to switch the appliances we use on and off without having to physically connect them up to a power supply every time. However, because of this we can easily  forget how powerful and dangerous electricity can be. If used carelessly, electricity can burn, shock and even kill people. Electricity must be treated with respect at all times:

Here are a few tips to help you keep your home electrics safe.

1. Have your wiring  checked at least once every five years by an approved contractor to ensure that it meets current safety standards. If you are buying a property that is more than 5 years old, the wiring should be checked immediately, before you complete the purchase, if possible. MC Electrical are specialists in domestic wiring inspections, and only employ fully qualified, approved electricians. Contact us on 07900938178 for more details.

2. Do not use appliances with worn or damaged wiring, and ensure wiring does not get twisted. Ideally you should get a protable appliance test (PAT) done on all of your electrical appliances every 3 years. If an appliance appears to be faulty stop using it immediately and have it checked over by a competent person.

3. Do not keep or use portable mains-operated electrical appliances in the bathroom. Water is a very efficient conductor of electricity and when the two come together it can be very dangerous.

4. Consider having a Residual Current Device (RCD) installed in your properyt to offer whole house protection. These are particularly reccommended if you regularly use power tools.

5. Never drill holes or fix nails in to walls unless you are absolutely certain that there is no wiring hidden behind that part of the wall.

6. In the kitchen, do not try to clean any electrical appliances whilst they are still plugged in and do not attempt to remove toast from a toaster whilst it is still plugged in.

7.In the bathroom enclosed ceiling lights should be used in preference to pendant light fittings. All  light fittings must be out of reach or enclosed to keep water out. A pull cord switch, is the safest option for switching a bathroom light on and off.

8. In the garden be sure to use an RCD for all outdoor electrical equipment and check that the RCD is working by pressing the 'test' button before every usage.

9. Also take great  care when digging, as electrical, gas and water service pipes  may be buried in your garden.

10. Store all of your electrical equipment, both indoor and outdoor,  in a clean dry place and well out of the reach of young children.

If you need any further advice on home electrical safet be sure to contact MC Electrical at matthewcordwell (at) sky.com or on 07900 938178.