Wiremasters, the miami electrical repair specialists, are back today with some important statistics and prevention tips for at home safety, and electrical fire mitigation.
Electrical repair safety
Based on data from the national fire protection association, there is an estimated annual average of 47,820 reported home fires involving electrical failure or malfunction from 2007-2011. These fires resulted in 455 deaths, 1,518 injuries and $1.5 billion in property damage. Many of these fires could have been avoided with proper electrical care.
Statistics of electrical fires
- 48% of home electrical fires involve electrical distribution or lighting equipment.
- 46% of electrical failure fires involved other known types of equipment. The types of equipment commonly involved are washers or dryers, fans and portable stationary space heaters.
- Electrical failure or malfunction was cited as a main factor contributing to ignition of 74% of electrical distribution or lighting equipment fires
Nfpa’s tips for electrical safety
- Always consult and or hire a qualified electrician.
- Have damaged or loose electrical cords replaced or repaired.
- In homes with small children, make sure your home has tamper-resistant receptacles.
- Consider having additional circuits or outlets added by a qualified electrician so you do not have to use extension cords.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for plugging an appliance into a receptacle outlet.
- Avoid overloading outlets. Plug only one high-wattage appliance into each receptacle outlet at a time.
- If you encounter outlets or switches that feel warm, frequent problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuits or flickering or dimming lights, call a qualified electrician.
- Make sure your home has ground fault circuit interrupters (gfcis) in the kitchen bathrooms, laundry, and outdoor areas.
- Arc-fault circuit interrupters (afcis) should be installed in your home to protect electrical outlets.
Miami electrical repair
If you feel any of these issues may be present at your home contact an electrician as soon as possible. We at wire masters, the miami electrical repair specialists, would love to help. We offer miami electrical repair services of all varieties, and have been serving the south florida area for nearly 30 years.