Skip to main content

Top Tips to check for Bad Electrical Wiring

Every year, hundreds of fires are caused by bad electrical wiring  in Queensland, most of these could have been prevented by calling your friendly electrician on The Gold Coast to check your electrical wiring system. The relatively inexpensive service is one of the cheapest insurance policies you can get. For a few hundred dollars, you can have peace of mind knowing your family and property is safe and secure from the dangers of electrical fires.

Although an electrician on Gold Coast needs to do the final check there are some things you can do yourself to check between their inspections such as:

·        Fuse box circuit breakers and safety switches

About once a month you should give your safety switches and circuit breakers a visual inspection and if they are equipped with a test button try this to ensure they are working properly.

Look for any signs of strain, heat distortion, colouring or an unusual smell, Insects in your fuse box potentially can cause a problem as can other pests such as rodents who like to chew the insulation from electrical wires and connectors to keep their teeth in check

·        Sparks

When you plug in appliances and notice sparks or the plugs feel warm or hot to touch it means there is some unusual restriction so it’s important to call your friendly local electrician on The Gold Coast to have the wiring checked and the appliances repaired or replaced

·        The age of the Building

Some older houses may no longer be electrically compliant unless they have been up-graded and had new circuits installed to cope with the increased load required by today’s usage of electrical equipment. New buildings are required to pass stringent safety tests and be wired according to the latest requirements, but need to be checked at least every 5 years as they can be subject to the weather conditions, pests, internal and external surges

Electrical Safety Needs to be a Priority

Because electricity can’t be seen and the wires are almost always kept inside walls under floors or in ceilings, it’s very hard to tell the condition of a building’s electrical wiring without specialised training and equipment. Some electrical items found in and around the home that everyone should be aware of how to use and take care of are:

·        Extension cords or leads

These should only be a temporary solution and protected from foot traffic, moisture and sharp objects. They should never go through doorways, windows or from one building to another.

It’s vital they are in good condition and regularly checked to ensure they are not compromised or damaged

·        Electrical Appliances

Before using any electrical appliance a visual check should be made to ensure it’s not damaged and if any faults are detected it should be repaired by a qualified electrician

·        Power Outlets or Points

These should be turned off before plugging or unplugging appliances. If you detect and discolouration or signs of heat they need to be checked by your local electrician on The Gold Coast

 

Powerboards are very popular and should be used carefully, ensuring the appliances plugged into them are within their rated capacity. They need to be placed in dry, well-ventilated areas and switched off when not in use. Ask your local electrician on The Gold Coast to wire in a new circuit and check your existing wiring to be safe.

 

 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tips to protect your workplace from electrical hazards

Electricity is the main force used to power and drive everything is our homes and place of work, but it’s often taken for granted as it can’t be seen and only really noticed when it’s no longer there. The very real and ever present danger of electricity is forgotten until something goes wrong, causing a shock or fire and you need the services of an electrician on Gold Coast . Some important tips to protect your workplace from electrical hazards are: Power cords There’s a wide range of electrical appliances used in the workplace and often, there just isn’t enough power outlets available or near enough, so extension cords and strip connectors are commonly used. It’s important when using these that they are not overloaded and that the circuit they’re connected to is properly earthed and protected by a circuit breaker. Safety switches such as RCDs or residual current devices immediately switch off any electrical supply when they detect electricity is leaking into the ear...

What can be the reasons your safety switches keep tripping?

One of the most important safety features your local electrician on Gold Coast can install in your home is safety switches on your circuitry. Safety switches are often confused with circuit breakers and surge protectors which are installed to protect equipment and wiring. Safety switches role is to protect life, they do this by monitoring the movement of current as it passes through your electrical wiring and instantly disconnect the electricity if they detect any differences or changes. When a safety switch in your home keeps tripping or shutting off your current it can be for any of these reasons: ·        Damaged or faulty appliances When an appliance gets old, worn or damaged it can leak extra current. When this happens your safety switch will be activated and turn the current off. The best way to find a faulty appliance that leaking extra current is to disconnect all appliances on a circuit and try them individually ·     ...