It’s common to worry about fireplace embers and flames in your home in the winter, between cozy, crackling fires and Christmas trees. But during the early months of the winter, electrical fires are more likely, and faulty electronic equipment or misuse are often the causes.
“Any breaks, frays, or splits in electrical insulation exposing wires, or faulty wiring behind a wall can pose a potential hazard,” said Gene Morris, safety manager for Clark Public Utilities. “Visually inspecting electrical equipment, including places where wires connect to plugs, is the best way to detect these dangers. If you find any issues, then replace that equipment.”
Electrical fires make up around 6 percent of the fires in the United States, about 24,000 a year. More than half are caused by problems like shorts, frayed or broken equipment in anything from a power drill to a dishwasher. The size or frequency of use isn’t always an indication of threat, and all types of household appliances have caused fires at one time or another. Misuse of electrical equipment poses potential hazards that are life threatening, but avoidable. Be especially aware of unsafe placement or use of portable heaters, damaged or mismatched extension cords, and overloaded electrical outlets and circuits.
“Failing electrical equipment and appliances often give off a burned smell,” said Morris. “In addition to smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, being aware of changes in smell inside your home will help.”
By being careful, we can avoid nearly all electrical fires. Keep portable heaters at least 2 feet away from curtains, sofas, and anything else flammable. Never leave home with one running.
“The switch to LED bulbs means we’re less likely to overload light sockets these days,” said Morris. “And because LEDs create almost no heat there’s also less danger of fire.”
Don’t overload sockets
In home offices and media centers, overloading wall sockets is more likely. Home offices often contain a computer in addition to several additional devices like scanners, printers, network hubs, and telephones.
Media rooms are often host to a TV, DVD player, sound bar or speakers, and gaming consoles. Choosing energy efficient models and using a smart power strip to protect against surges and circuit overloads can help keep these rooms safe.
Constant flickering of a home’s lights may suggest a wiring issue. Degraded or compromised wiring can heat up faster and may ignite anything flammable behind the walls. Rodents chewing wire insulation can expose wires and create a hazard. In older homes, it’s a good idea to have an electrician check older wiring periodically and make sure it’s safe and up to code.
Electrical fires move from room to room quickly, and can spread behind walls and in ceilings. To protect your family, install smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in halls, the kitchen and the garage. Also, purchase fire extinguishers for the kitchen and garage–the most likely places for fires. Buy ones that work equally well on electrical fires, cooking oil fires and put each extinguisher in an easy to reach spot. Because water conducts electricity, never put water on an electrical fire.
“It doesn’t pay to scrimp on fire safety,” Morris said. “For about $150, you can get moderately priced smoke and CO alarms and a couple of fire extinguishers for your home.”
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
