Best Ways to Protect Your Home Appliances From Preventable Damages
Each outlet inside your home is designed to handle only a certain amount of electricity. Overwhelming an outlet is one of the main causes of electrical fires.
Don’t try to fix frayed or damaged cords. Never splice two cords together or remove the third prong from a plug.
It is important to follow these appliance safety tips because each year, electrical arc faults cause thousands of home fires. These fires could have been prevented with proper maintenance and precautionary measures.
1. Read the Manual
Every 85 seconds, fire departments respond to a home fire in this country. These tragic fires, however, can be prevented. Following a few simple tips can protect your appliances and keep you and your family safe.
Start by reading your appliance manuals. This will help you understand how your appliances are supposed to be installed and used. This will also give you information about proper maintenance and safety tips. Checking electrical cords regularly is another important step in preventing appliance damage. Make sure they are not frayed or have loose prongs. Also, remove any blocks around your appliances. Blocks can prevent air flow, leading to overheating and potentially causing a fire.
2. Install a Power Surge Protector
We depend on our electronic devices to function, but overusing them can result in a power surge that damages appliances or even causes an electrical fire. To prevent these disasters, it’s important to install a power surge protector.
These devices act like pressure-relief valves, diverting excess voltage to the ground wire in a fraction of a second. They’re available in two types: whole-house suppressors that tame big external spikes and “plug-in” surge protectors that guard individual outlets.
You can also protect your home by using only one outlet per appliance and avoiding overusing extension cords. Overloading outlets and using damaged cords can lead to electrical fires that can easily burn down your entire house.
3. Unplug All Your Electrical Appliances During Monsoon
While it may seem like a hassle, unplugging your electrical appliances when they’re not in use is an easy way to reduce the chances of them getting damaged. Small devices like printers or flat irons can drain power even when their switch is off, causing them to malfunction and increase your electric bill. Unplugging appliances also helps prevent fires. Metal parts of appliances can corrode in the presence of moisture, leading to short circuits. Most importantly, during a dishwasher repair or any appliance repair, make sure everything is properly unplugged. This can lead to a fire hazard or electrocution if someone is nearby. To prevent this, make sure that all plug points are dry. Additionally, shut the windows near any electrical outlets.
4. Invest in Surge Protection Devices
Power surges aren’t always stormy, lightning-fueled events that fry electronics. More often, they are lower-level pulses that slowly degrade appliances and electronics until they stop working altogether.
Whole-house surge protection reduces the amount of electricity that is transferred to your house’s electrical, phone and cable TV systems from outside sources. Point-of-use protection – such as power strips with surge protection – further reduces the amount of electricity that is transmitted to your appliances.
Keep flammable materials away from electrical outlets and appliances, as they may generate enough heat to start a fire. This is especially true for older appliances, which can overheat and spark.
5. Don’t Overload Electrical Outlets
Electrical outlets can only handle a certain amount of electricity. Overloading them can lead to dangerous situations such as overheating, which in turn damages the wiring. This creates sparks, which may cause a fire. Overloaded outlets are a significant contributor to thousands of residential fires every year.
A good way to avoid overloading your electrical outlets is by checking your appliances regularly for signs of wear and tear. If you see any of these signs, you should call an electrician immediately to have the problem fixed. Also, keep in mind that you should never use extension cords or multi-outlet converters for heat generating appliances.
6. Check Your Plugs
Just like the wires and cords, the plugs of your appliances are susceptible to damage. It is a good idea to check your appliances regularly for damaged plugs. A broken plug can cause a spark and overheat your outlets, leading to a fire.
You must also make sure that the metal parts in your appliances are not corroded by humidity. Corroded metal parts can short circuit and lead to a deadly electrical accident.
The easiest way to protect your appliances from preventable damages is by getting a home warranty policy. You can easily purchase a service plan, extended warranty to save money and to keep safe practices ongoing all the time.
