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Get Ready for the Cooler Weather
It’s now autumn and the days are getting shorter. With temperatures dropping, it’s time to think about electrical safety around your home again. During the colder weather, most people use electrical appliances to keep warm and cozy. However, without proper care and maintenance you could be putting your loved ones in danger. Sparc Electrical have written this article to remind you of some important electrical concerns to help keep your family safe. If you are worried about the safety of your home’s electrical system of appliances, please give our friendly team a call on 0404 213 806 or email info@sparc-electrical.com.au.
1. Inspect Wires and Connections
If you notice any electrical wires in your home that are frayed or any connectors that are not joined properly, it’s important you have them inspected by an electrician asap. Also, if you see scorch marks on a power point, this is another reason to call in the professionals. These situations can be a serious fire hazard as well as being an electrocution risk. Sparc Electrical recommends taking a good look at all appliances and other devices for wear and tear before using them. This is especially true for any appliances used outdoors.
2. Install Legal Smoke Alarms
The new legislation is here and required interconnected smoke alarms throughout your dwelling. Although there’s still a little time before the deadline, it’s a good idea to get in early to avoid the late rush. In the meantime, Sparc Electrical recommend testing your existing smoke alarms to make sure they’re working as intended. In older alarms. Batteries should be swapped at least annually. Having working smoke alarms in your home could be the difference between life and death so please heed this advice.
3. Protect Appliances
Our Master Electricians recommend installing surge protectors to guard appliances again voltage spike as they can completely destroy your devices. The best option is to make sure you have a surge protector for all important appliances including expensive computers and televisions. Sparc Electrical can give you professional advice on the best surge protection that is rated for the voltage of your individual devices so they’re safe. If you currently have surge protectors and they’re over 2 years old, we suggest replacing them as they lose effectiveness over time.
4. Upgrade Your Switchboard
With many older homes on Brisbane’s northside and the Sunshine Coast, there are a lot of ticking timebombs in the form of outdated switchboards. As a key component of your electrical systems, this device protects you and your loved ones from potentially fatal electrocution. Not only that, but old fuses can lead to fire hazards which can cause serious damage to your property. If your fusing are blowing, your lights flickering or your safety switches constantly tripping, it’s imperative that you have a licensed electrician inspect your switchboard to see it it’s up to code.
5. Beware of Power Points
Importantly, you’ll need to clean your power outlets to make sure there’s no dust or other debris in them as this can cause a short. The easiest way is with a handheld vacuum cleaner or cloth. Also, make sure you unplug anything that’s not being used at the moment as this can reduce the chances of an electrical fire or electrocution. Finally, to keep the little ones safe, Sparc always recommend power point covers to prevent objects being stuck in the outlet by the curious.
Don’t Wait Till an Accident Happens
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and this saying is especially true when dealing with electricity which does so much for us yet can be extremely dangerous. Autumn is the perfect to to revisit electrical safety withing you home as we head into the cooler months. With increased usage of electrical appliances, it’s essential to make sure all wiring is safe and your smoke alarms are in working order. Looking after your expensive appliances with surge protectors and fixing your switchboard are also good ideas as the load on our home electrical systems often increases in winter.
Sparc Electrical are available right across the northside of Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast to provide professional electrician services so you and your family are safe and sound. Our electrical safety inspections can identify risks at your property and we can then give you options to minimize the hazards. When it comes to electricity, it’s always best to nip little problems in the bud before they escalate and become major issues down the track that not only put your family at risk but could end up costing a lot more to fix later. Please contact Sparc Electrical on 0404 213 806 or email info@sparc-electrical.com.au now!