“Do not try this at home!”
Doing drywall, installing flooring and other home projects may be fine for a DIY project but electrical work is not.
The risk of mistakes with many home projects is aesthetic or the cost of maybe wasting material, not usually safety. The possible risks of electrical work are not at all forgiving and in many cases life changing. If the truth were known, the phrase “Don’t try this at home” was probably first said by an electrician.
Having said that, here are some electrical safety tips for new homeowners.
Know how to turn off your power.
The first two things to know when you buy a home is how to shut the water off (where is the main shutoff), where your electrical panel is and how to turn the power off.
Familiarize yourself with your electrical panel. Know where it is and which breaker is the main breaker.
If you have an emergency and need to turn all your power off fast, you will be glad you know what to do and where to do it.
Each breaker in your breaker panel should be labeled but in many cases they are not. Mapping the breakers if they are not already labeled is a great idea. But only a licensed electrician is qualified to test for live wires. The proper tools and know how is what keeps an electrician safe.
Don’t overload your outlets.
Too many things plugged into one outlet can cause fires.
Don’t use Extension cords when possible.
Extension cords are often the cause of fires if there are too many things plugged into them or the things that are plugged in are not all the way in.
Extension cords are good when you have a need to use power in a place you would not normally use power. If you know that you will need power in a place regularly then adding an outlet is a much better idea.
Do not daisy chain cords together or use cords longer than recommended for high power tools or appliances.
Electrical cords are also a hazard for tripping, not to mention the possible injury to pets if they decide to chew on them.
For a home inspection in Edmonton call us today at 1-780-916-8947
Be safe and congratulations on your new home!
