Home, Residential, electrical services, Electrician
Written by Larry Cook

Safety Tips with Electricity

Electricity is very powerful which is why it’s critical to use electricity with caution.  One misstep can easily cause a fire if it’s not used with caution and respect.

While it’s nice and often convenient to use an extension cord to reach further than your regular electrical cord, please don’t overload it. Plugging in too many cords to one extension cord can overload it and cause a fire. While decorating  for Christmas and other festivities on your patio or yard you might be tempted to use too many plugs in one extension cord. Don’t plug extension cords into another extension cord! This puts too much electrical demand on one plug and could cause a fire. It is much safer to purchase additional extension cords and find more electrical outlets so you don’t put too much electrical demand on your current extension cords and electrical outlets. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Always make sure your electrical cords are tucked away safely so nobody trips on them and your pet can’t reach and chew on them. There are cord hiders that can help keep your cords together. You can get crafty and use paper towel rolls  to put your cords through to keep them all together and out of harm’s way. If you have to have a cord cross over a path, use duct tape to keep it in place and cover it so nobody will trip on it.

Don’t ever yank a cord out of the wall socket. Pull the plug out  gently and carefully to protect it from harming your appliance, light fixture, or  whatever it is attached to. This will also protect your electrical wall socket.

Put safety caps on unused wall sockets. It will save energy from drafts coming in and make the electrical sockets safe from kids whose inquisitive little fingers might otherwise try to poke inside them.

Keep everything electrical away from water. It’s very dangerous to have any electrical appliance, like a hair dryer, fall into the water. You could ruin the appliance and get electrocuted.

Always be careful around power lines. Stay away from them whenever possible. If you climb a tree, or fly a kite or practice any activity near power wires, you could put yourself in danger. Stay away from power wires that might fall on the ground during and after a storm. Fallen power lines may still have an electrical charge in them and are a risk to causing a fire. If you see downed power wires in neighborhood after a storm call your electric company to report it immediately.

Always remember, safety first when it comes to electrical wires.

If you need help with electrical plugs or wires in your home, please call or contact Cook Electric today at 410-266-9040 or 1-800-966-8812.