Home electric fires are a subject that doesn’t get highlighted enough. Each year, there are an estimated 51,000 fires caused due to electric malfunctioning in the United States, leading to more than 500 deaths, 1,400 injuries, and 1.3 billion dollars in property damage.
The risks of electric fires become amplified in the cold weather months, especially from November through February, as roughly 40% of fire accidents take place in these months.
Hence, it’s important to maintain a proper functioning electrical system to ensure the safety of your home. Many unfortunate situations can easily be prevented by learning how electric fires start and what precautions and safety measures you should take.
Here are three important signs of fire hazards that every homeowner should know about:
Electrical shocks
If you experience electric shocks when plugging electrical appliances or equipment in an electric outlet, immediately call a professional electrician and get your home’s electrical system inspected. If left unattended, this can lead to an electric fire.
There are numerous reasons that can cause electric shocks, including deteriorating wiring, faulty appliances, or faulty electrical outlets. A professional electrician will evaluate the problem and fix the problem before it escalates.
Flickering lights
Most people don’t take flickering of lights seriously, assuming that it’s just a faulty bulb. However, the flickering of lights is commonly triggered due to loose connections, which can create more resistance, causing the wires to overheat and ultimately leading to an electric fire.
Furthermore, the flickering of light can also be caused due to voltage fluctuations. Hence, it becomes important to call professionals to inspect your electrical system, particularly if you have large appliances that consume high amounts of power.
Tripping of circuit breakers
While a tripping circuit breaker means that the electrical flow is shut off by the circuit to prevent overheating, it’s also a sign that there’s something wrong with your electric system or there’s a faulty appliance connected in one of your power outlets.
It the circuit breaker doesn’t shut off properly, it can overheat and cause an electric fire. Hence, it’s crucial to find the root cause of the issue to ensure that the demand, or load, on the circuit don’t get too high, otherwise, you may be risking the safety of you and your loved ones.
If you’re searching for professional electrician services to evaluate your home electrical system, contact RHK Electrical today. Based in Cypress, Texas, we’re a multi-faceted electrical services provider that offer quality electrician services to our client.
Our certified and trained professionals will virtually eliminate the risks of electric fire in your home. For more information, call us at +1 832 948 6019 or visit our website.