Electrical malfunctions cause thousands of fires in homes and businesses annually. Even with insurance, a fire will cost you a significant amount of time, money, and labor to get back to life as usual. It’s far easier to prevent an electrical fire than to recover from one. Our professional electricians at Walker Electric share some easy ways to prevent electrical fires in your home or office.

Smoke Detectors

Smoke detectors help to save thousands of lives. Over 65% of deaths resulting from house fires occurred in homes without smoke detectors. It’s essential to have enough smoke alarms and to make sure they are functioning correctly. How many smoke alarms do you need? The general rule is to have one on every level of your home plus one in every bedroom. So a two-story home with three bedrooms would require five smoke alarms.

Faulty Wiring

We can’t stress enough the importance of maintaining your home’s wiring. The average lifespan of wiring is between 30 and 40 years, and less than that if your home or business has aluminum wiring. How can you tell if your wiring may be ready to bite the dust?

• Your circuit breaker trips frequently.
• Fuses blow very often.
• You use many surge protectors or extension cords in your home - This indicates your home’s current electrical wiring cannot support the power your family uses.

If you notice any of these factors, give our friendly professionals at Walker Electric a call so we can check the status of the structure’s wiring and help to prevent an electrical fire.

Arc Fault

An arc fault is a leading cause of electrical fires. Arc faults happen when loose or corroded wiring causes a high-power discharge between two connectors. The discharge creates heat which can lead to a fire and is often a problem in outlets. We recommend checking your outlets annually to ensure they are working as they should. Having an Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) is an excellent way to help stop these faults before they cause damage. Even if an AFCI is not required in your home, it’s never a bad idea.

Other Steps

Unfortunately, there is no 100% guaranteed way to prevent electrical fires, but the following steps can be a great help:

• Immediately replace any cracked or damaged electrical cords
• Plug appliances, major and small, directly into the wall instead of an extension cord
• Keep flammable materials, including clothing and carpet, away from electrical outlets
• Replace any loose wall outlets
• Only use power strips and surge protectors that have been certified by a recognized testing laboratory. Underwriter Laboratories (UL) is one of the most prominent labs.

Contact Walker Electric

Walker Electric has been serving the area since 1976, and our technicians undergo yearly training to ensure we are at the leading edge of the electrical industry. We offer many services, including installations and industrial service work. Contact us today with any electrical fire questions you have or for 24/7 emergency service. We serve Fayette County, Lexington, Frankfort, Richmond, Georgetown, and surrounding counties in Kentucky.