Insights
Electrical Safety at Home: Common Hazards and How to Avoid Them
Most of the electrical problems that cause fires and shocks in homes come down to a handful of common hazards, and most are avoidable. You don't need to be an electrician to spot the warning signs or to build a few safe habits. Here's what to watch for around the house.
Overloaded power points are near the top of the list. The danger isn't usually the number of things plugged in, it's plugging high-draw appliances into boards and adapters that can't handle the load. Heaters, kettles, dryers, and dishwashers all pull a lot of current, and running them off a cheap multi-board or daisy-chaining one board into another can overheat the connection and start a fire. Never run a heater off a multi-board, and if you constantly rely on adapters because you're short of outlets, that's a sign you need more power points installed.
Damaged cords and plugs are another common cause of trouble. Frayed cords, cracked plugs, and cables run under rugs or pinched behind furniture can wear through and expose live wires. Check the cords on appliances and extension leads now and then, and replace anything that's damaged rather than taping it up. A cord run under a rug also can't shed heat, which makes it worse.
Water and electricity are a deadly mix, and the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry are where they meet. Keep appliances and cords well away from sinks, baths, and ben chtop water, and never touch a switch or appliance with wet hands. Outdoors, only use tools and leads rated for it, and make sure they're protected by an RCD.
Warning signs in your fixed wiring are worth knowing. Power points or switches that feel warm or are discoloured, lights that flicker persistently, breakers that trip often, a faint burning smell, or scorch marks around an outlet all point to a fault that needs attention. A burning smell or scorch marks are urgent. Older homes can also have outdated cloth or rubber insulated wiring that becomes brittle and unsafe with age, which is something an electrician can check.
A few simple habits go a long way. Switch off and unplug appliances like heaters and chargers when you're not using them. Make sure your home has RCDs on the board, as they're the single best protection against a fatal shock. Test your smoke alarms regularly, since they're your warning if an electrical fault does start a fire. And don't attempt your own repairs on the fixed wiring, because in New Zealand that's work for a registered electrician for very good reason.
If anything about your wiring worries you, or your home hasn't had an electrical check in years, get a registered electrician to do a safety inspection. They can find hidden faults before they become dangerous, and put right anything that's not up to scratch. A small amount spent on checking is cheap against the cost of a house fire or worse.