With the presence of electric appliances at home, surely makes us feel at ease to stay home and enjoy the extent of the appliances’ functions. However, these appliances may also pose serious danger such as risks of fire due to short circuits or damages to the electric appliances.

Fires caused by electricity is the third main reason of unintentional house fires, after heating devices and fires due to cooking accidents. Therefore, homeowners should pay extra attention since fires may start from any parts of your home.

Let’s discuss the causes of house fires caused by electricity and how to prevent it:

Causes of Electrical Fires & How to Prevent Them

Wedged Cables

Electric cables on the floor or attached on walls may clash with a house’s interior decorations. However, cables that are installed under carpets or not installed properly inside walls may remove one problem only to evoke another problem. People walking over cables installed under carpets, or pushing objects towards cables installed on walls may cause the cables to bend and wedge. This reduces its ability to conduct current and causes the insulator to fray. This ends up the cable producing fire sparks that may spread to the carpet or other household items, and therefore causing a fire to break out.

However, by installing a Residual Current Circuit Breaker (RCCB), may help prevent every case of power leakages from cables. RCCB is the safest appliance to detect power leakages from cables and providing protection from electric shocks caused by direct contact. Also giving a sense of security to homeowners.

Extension Cords

Due to the limitations of electric sockets, people choose extension cords as an additional terminal. However, people often use extension cords beyond its recommended workload, and this may pose a risk of fires breaking out. Extension cords are prone to overheating due to overload. Even when the extension cords are used for a limited amount of time, it can still pose risks to those around it.

To stay safe while using extension cords, opt for 3-prong plugs that fits the modern outlet design. Furthermore, make sure the labels on the electric cables has a license, is printed according to the technical instructions and also check for frayed cables. If you heavily rely on extension cords daily, it is best to have several electric sockets installed according to your needs and make sure it is installed by a professional.

Unforeseen Danger

Cables and any electrical materials should be our main attention even when it is unseen. For example, electrical installations in the ceiling may be unseen and we may not fully know if it has been installed safely nor correctly. If there are bare cables not installed in PVC pipes, there is a risk of rodents nibbling on cables causing it to fray or even break. It is best to use PVC pipes to protect the cables in the ceilings from any rodents.

Another noteworthy point is to never let extension cords without any sort of insulator. Extension cords should be installed in a T Dus or T Dooz that functions as its ‘home’. With the T Dus, extension cords will be safer, allowing it to stay in tact. Do contact a professional technician when installing extension cords in a T Dus.

Is your house safe from house fires?

After reading this article, you can crosscheck and make sure your house is free from any risks and dangers of short circuits that may cause fires to break out.

Other Interesting Information:

1. First Aid For Electrocution Victims
2. Your Backup During Power Outages
3. Understanding The Function of MCBs and Its Types
4. What Are Welding Cables?
5. Here’s How You Can Tidy Up Your Cables At Home!