Electric Fires

Protect your home from danger this winter.

With the winter upon us, this is the time of the year with the highest percentage of home fires occur.You can avoid the potential by following a few precautions.
1. Make sure you have working smoke detectors in all areas of the home including each bedroom. Smoke detectors should be of the type that will set off all of the detectors if any one goes off. Check the detectors to make sure they are working and replace if the detectors are more than 10 years old. They should be replaced every 10 years according to the manufacturer and the National Fire Prevention Association. Never disable a smoke detector, if it chirps it means they battery needs changing or the detector is bad, which needs to be replaced. If you need a new battery operated smoke detector, call us for a free one.
2. It is easy to overload circuits and invite fires. With the winter season here many people plug in portable heaters into undersize extension cords which can over heat and burn before the circuit breaker trips. Also be aware of plugging in multiple items in "power strips". This can easily over load the circuit causing the cords or house wiring to heat and burn. This is especially true in older homes. (1970's and older). Homes built between 1969 and 1974 have the potential to have aluminum wiring which is a potential hazard as it can create loose connections on receptacles and switches which can create overheating and burning. Due to this aluminum wiring was no longer allowed for home construction since 1974. If you have concerns, please call for home safety inspection.
3. Homes older than 20 years should have a safety inspection to determine that all switches and receptacles are in good condition and connections are tight. Arc fault circuit breakers are now available and required in new homes. These breakers are designed to trip if the is the slightest arc or spark due to circuit failure. These items alone can prevent injury or loss of life due to electrical fires.