Even when you're careful, accidents can happen; that's why they're called “accidents” and not something like “intentionals.” Still, it's surprising how commonplace home electrical fires really are when doing home electrical repairs.
It's a sad fact of life: the commodity of electricity, which we so depend on and which has become such an integral part of American life, also was involved in nearly 48,000 home fires from 2007 to 2011, according to the National Fire Protection Association. These fires caused 1,518 injuries, 455 deaths and about $1.5 billion in property damage.
Though shocking, the fact also is that electricity – in and of itself – doesn't cause fires. It's a lack of knowledge about electrical repairs, poor methodology and carelessness that often lead to electrical accidents. Electricity is perfectly safe when people exercise safe practices, caution, sensibility and common sense.
Check out these statistics from the NFPA:
- Sixty-three percent of all home electrical fires are traced to wiring, 20 percent to lamps, light fixtures or light bulbs, 11 percent to extension cords and 6 percent to power transformers. Except for the latter, these are some fairly familiar devices around the home. It's not clear whether people were conducting repairs to these devices or misused them. (For example, some people try to dim a light by tossing a thin piece of fabric over it, thereby starting a fire.) But these statistics strongly suggest that these devices should be treated with extreme care.
- Of the fires traced to wiring, most involve outlets and receptacles, electrical branch circuits (meaning interior house wiring) the main electrical panel (or fuse box) and extension cords.
- A smaller number of fires – under 10 percent each – involved air conditioning equipment, fans, space heaters and washers or dryers.
- In nearly 80 percent of all home electrical fires, the fire spreads beyond the point of ignition – pointing up the need to keep a fire extinguisher nearby when you're undertaking DIY electrical repairs.
- When death resulted from home electrical fires, nearly half of these fires began in the bedroom, family room or living room.
What preventative measures can you take?
Whether you're conducting DIY electrical repairs or not, accidents and fires can still happen in your home. The Electrical Safety Foundation International recommends the use of:
- Arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIAs), or circuit breakers that respond immediately to fire hazards and automatically shut off power.
- Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs),or outlets that shut off electrical current when they detect that it is flowing along an unintended path, such as a person or water.
- Tamper resistant receptacles (TRRs), which, as their name suggests, prevent people (and especially children) from inserting objects into them.
We hope this information has shed some light on the importance of safety when doing any electical repairs. Next time you need a Chico area local electrican contact Experts In Your Home. We always available to answer your questions in the interest of keeping you and your family safe.
Don't try these jobs yourself - find out what electrical jobs should always be left to the professionals with this FREE guide:
