Safety Lesson: How to Prevent Fires from Electrical Wiring and Appliances
According to statistics, electrical wiring is the most fire hazardous type of electrical installations. The most common causes of fire hazards in electrical wiring are overloads and short circuits, which consequently lead to the occurrence of fires.
In addition, another source of fire hazard in the home related to electricity is electrical appliances. It is difficult to imagine modern life without various electrical appliances. We are surrounded by a vast number of them in everyday life, so it is essential to remember that there is always a risk of fire due to a short circuit in the network.
It is not uncommon for a burning wire smell to appear in a room. In most cases, this concerns older buildings. In other cases, this problem can also arise in new buildings if the installation is done incorrectly, the equipment is improperly selected, or low-quality cable conductors are used. In such situations, the main thing is not to delay and to take appropriate actions immediately.
What should you do? First, it is necessary to disconnect the house or apartment from the power supply. The solution is to turn off the circuit breaker. If there is old wiring and meters, unscrew the fuses. The next step is to check all electrical appliances in the house and disconnect them from the sockets.
It should be noted that household appliances are often the cause of fires. That is why it is necessary to inspect microwave ovens, refrigerators, televisions, etc. Also, if the smell is localized, it is worth checking the wiring near the ceiling light fixture.
If it is impossible to determine the source of the fire by smell, visually inspect the rooms, their walls, the places where electrical appliances are connected, and extension cords. For example, a circuit breaker or socket may catch fire. If this happens, it is essential to take repair actions. Of course, calling an electrician is the most prudent decision. However, it is still worth checking everything independently beforehand. There is a high probability that the source of smoke is household appliances, and to eliminate the problem, it is only necessary to turn them off.
In case of fire hazard, call the Ministry of Emergency Situations at: 101 or 112. If nothing dangerous or frightening has happened, it would be appropriate to call the housing maintenance service and request a specialist.
Here are some safety precautions when using electrical appliances.
It is prohibited to:
- operate electrical wires and cables with visible insulation damage;
- use sockets with damage;
- use heating appliances that do not have thermal protection devices, as well as in the absence or malfunction of thermostats provided by the design;
- use homemade heating appliances;
- not to use homemade heating appliances, especially high-power ones, for which the home electrical network is not designed.
- leave heating appliances plugged into the electrical network unattended, including those in standby mode, except for those that may or should be in continuous operation mode according to the manufacturer's instructions;
- store flammable and combustible materials near electrical panels;
- use temporary wiring and extension cords to power electrical appliances.
- correct choice of the type of electrical wiring and method of its installation;
- compliance of the type of electrical wiring and characteristics of the used wires, cables, and pipes with permissible installation methods on supporting bases and structures;
- correct choice of electrical protection;
- installation of electrical wiring must be carried out by specialists.