Many home fires can be traced back to electrical problems of one kind or another. Often we will take the electricity that runs through our home for granted and not keep in mind just how dangerous it can be when it is not working correctly or when we do things that help to cause an electrical fire. We need to know what things to avoid and precautions we should take when it comes to handling the electricity in our houses.
Here are just some of the most important things everyone needs to know and remember when dealing with electricity at home:
1. Never use extension cords when it is not necessary.
2. Never run any electrical cord underneath a carpet or rug
3. Make sure any cord you are plugging into an outlet is not damaged. Dry brittle cords that are old or cracked can easily catch fire. Replace the cord as soon as you notice any damage or have a problem with it.
4. Watch out for overloaded circuits. When lights flicker when you turn on an appliance, it could be indicating that the circuit is overloaded and you may need to have the wiring checked out or move the appliance to another outlet if possible.
5. People often do not realize the fire risk of light bulbs. Some light bulbs like the new halogen ones can get very hot. It is important to never allow them to come in contact with anything flammable. Throwing things on top of lamp shades or even stacking items on a closet shelf too close to a light fixture in the ceiling can start a fire.
6. Any appliance that shocks you even a little bit can be a potential hazard.
7. When a light bulb blows out too often, it could be too much wattage for that particular light fixture.
8. Three pronged plugs should only be used into a three holed outlet. Never remove the third prong to force fit it into a two holed outlet.
9. Space heaters are notorious for starting fires. Never place them near anything flammable and make sure they can not be turned over. Buying heaters that shut off automatically are the safest investment.
10. If you have small children, use outlet covers to prevent them from electrocuting themselves. This is one accident you definitely want to avoid.
Just by following these simple rules and precautions, you can significantly reduce the risk of having electrical fires in your home. Making sure your smoke detectors are always working properly is essential for fire safety. Keep at least one working fire extinguisher in the home as well. Fire is one of the most dangerous things that can happen in a home. You will rest a lot easier knowing that you are doing all that you can to prevent them.
Airhart Electric News
“Top 10 Electrical Fire Safety Tips” by David • July 6th, 2011
“Indoor Lighting Options for Your Home / Business” by Kim • March 30th, 2011
A free report from Airhart Electric, Inc.
When selecting indoor lighting options for the home/business, you’ll have three lighting uses to consider:
- Ambient lighting – Provides general illumination for daily activities, as well as safety and security.
- Task lighting – Facilitates particular tasks that require more light than is needed for general illumination, such as under-cabinet kitchen lights, table lamps, or bathroom mirror lights.
- Accent lighting – Draws attention to special features or enhances aesthetic qualities.
While you make your choices within these categories, you may also want to make energy efficiency a part of your decision.
According to the Department of Energy, artificial lighting consumes almost 15% of a household’s electricity use. Yet the use of new lighting technologies can reduce lighting energy use in homes by 50% – 75%.
For energy-efficient indoor lighting design, the DOE recommends that you follow several lighting design principles:
- Remember that more light is not necessarily better. Light quality can be as important as light quantity.
- Install task lights where needed and reduce ambient light elsewhere.
- Use energy-efficient lighting components, controls and systems.
- Maximize the use of daylighting.
Fluorescent vs. Incandescent Lighting
You’ll also want to be aware of different types of lighting. Incandescent lighting, for example, is the most common type of lighting used in homes. It accounts for about 85% of household illumination. Incandescent bulbs are the least expensive to buy.
However, the downside is that they are inefficient and have a short life span –making incandescent lighting more expensive to operate.
Fluorescent lamps, on the other hand, use 25% – 35% of the energy used by incandescent lamps to provide the same amount of illumination. And they last about 10 times longer. They are good energy-efficient choices for ceiling- and wall-mounted fixtures that will be on for more than 2 hours each day.
These often include the fixtures in the kitchen and living room, and sometimes those in bathrooms, halls, bedrooms, and other higher-demand locations.
Lighting Controls
Installing lighting controls also serves several important purposes – adding ambience, reducing energy and improving safety and security.
Dimmer controls – Dimmer controls provide variable lighting for indoor settings. When the lights are dimmed, their wattage and output is reduced, which helps save energy.
Lighting occupancy sensor controls – Lighting occupancy sensor controls are indoor lighting controls that are based on a principle similar to motion detectors that are used outdoors. The occupancy sensors detect activity within a certain area. That’s a benefit in two ways – they conveniently turn the light on as someone enters the room, and they reduce lighting use by turning it off when the room’s occupants leave. Of the two types, ultrasonic sensors detect sound; infrared sensors detect heat and motion.
These sensor controls can be used not just for ambient lighting but also for task lighting applications. For example, task lights over a kitchen counter would be turned on when a person begins washing dishes and turned off when the task is done.
Timers – Timers can be used to turn on and off outdoor and indoor lights at specific times.They’re typically used for indoor lighting as a way to give unoccupied houses a lived-in look.
Let Us Help
No matter what type of lighting you choose, you’ll want to make sure you opt for professional installation by a licensed electrician. Electrical work is dangerous.
So when it’s time to upgrade the lighting in your home, just give us a call, and we’d be glad to help. Give us a call at 401-397-3415 to set up a free, no-obligation lighting consultation.
“LIFE” by Tina • September 23rd, 2010
Life is not simply holding a good hand. Life is playing a poor hand well.
- Danish saying
““AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE” … Ben Franklin” by Tina • September 17th, 2010
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” ~Ben Franklin
When I was growing up, I occasionally heard my parents use this Ben Franklin proverb. Of course, in today’s highly complex and technological world, early intervention and prevention make even more sense than they did 40 years ago.
Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to be diligent and safe, fire still poses a great threat to our homes and offices. As a leader in the electrical contracting industry, Airhart Electric, Inc. designs and installs smoke and fire alarm systems that provide your family or your co-workers with an early warning alarm should a problem occur.
When you’re looking for a reliable fire alarm system from a team with unquestionable integrity, please call me personally at 401-397-3415. I guarantee you’ll find a team dedicated to helping you create a safe and secure environment for your family and your co-workers.
“IN THE DARK?” by Tina • September 7th, 2010
In the dark? Then you need a good electrician. You need Airhart Electric, Inc. Call us today 401-397-3415
““BE PREPARED”” by Tina • September 3rd, 2010
In the unlikely event that Hurricane Earl reaches inland, I wanted to pass along some precautionary measures that you may want to consider to safeguard your computer equipment. The most damaging two things that can happen in a major storm are electrical damage and water damage. Even though we all do our best to put protections in place, such as Uninterruptible Power Supplies and data backup routines, there is always the chance – especially in a major storm – that those protections can be circumvented or overrun. If the weather predictions start to lean towards a major storm that may include major power outages and\or interruptions, you may want to consider the following steps:
1) Make sure to take your backup tape or hard drive with you when you leave the office Friday. If you are using an offsite backup service, double check to make sure it has run successfully.
2) Power down or turn off all computers, servers and electronic equipment such as routers, cable modems, printers and network switches. Start with the workstations, then the server, and finally all other equipment. The most damage to data occurs when a computer shuts off unexpectedly which can cause data loss or corruption. An Uninterruptible Power Supply (such as an APC UPS) is designed to protect against power surges and spikes and short term power loss. However, if the outage lasts longer than a few minutes, the battery will be exhausted and the equipment will still shut
off, increasing the risk of data loss.
3) If the storm has the potential for lightning and\or major power spikes, such as from trees falling on power lines, you may want to take the added measure of physically disconnecting all wires from the back of your equipment. Even though you may have surge protectors, if the spike is large enough, it can still find its way through the wires. For example, if there is an unprotected wire connected to the internet or phone system, the power spike can actually travel through ANY connected wire, such as a network cable, and damage the internal components of the system.
4) If you are in a location that is prone to flooding, after you have physically disconnected your computer or server, move it off the floor and onto a higher location or take it off the premises. The level of precaution you decide to take will surely depend on the likelihood of the storm severity and your own business continuity needs, but we wanted to communicate the options so that everyone was prepared. Even with a good data backup, waiting for replacement parts and equipment can cause days or weeks of lost business productivity. We have found that a few hours of precautionary system downtime can save time piecing things back together afterwards. Should you decide to shut everything down, when you power everything back up do so in the reverse order that you powered it down. Start with the miscellaneous equipment (internet devices, printers, etc), then the server, then the workstations.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us right away.
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