6 Crucial Safety Tips From A Toronto Electrician

Electrical issues are one of the most common causes of home fires, but virtually all of these fires are preventable. As a Toronto electrician, I see potential hazards all the time, and have compiled a short list of helpful tips that keep your family as safe as possible.

1. Study Your Breaker Panel
If you’ve never thought about your breaker panel, it’s time to give this little box some attention. It is important that you match each breaker to the area in your home where it supplies electricity. If this information is not already pasted into the door of your breaker box, create a sheet that identifies what each breaker covers.

It also is wise to make note of how many appliances and outlets are covered by each breaker. In some cases, you have too many items drawing power from a specific breaker and this can cause the circuit breaker to trip. If you do notice that your circuits are tripping often, it’s best to call your Toronto electrician and have them take a look. Your electrician can identify any problems and provide you with solutions to solve these issues. In some cases, just a few breakers might need to be replaced, but in other cases, it is best to remove and replace the entire panel and upgrade the system.

2. Identify & Inspect Your Outlets
From time to time, move from room to room and touch the outlets and light switches in your home. These should always be cool to the touch, and if you notice that they are warm or hot, this can indicate a serious wiring issue and you need to contact your Toronto electrician. Make a note of how many items are plugged into your outlets. If you only have one outlet in a room and this is overloaded and powering a multitude of devices, contact an electrician and ask about having additional outlets placed in the room.

All of your outlets should feature three prongs, so if you still have two-pronged outlets, these need to be switched out. If you have outlets in the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room or other rooms where they might come into contact with water, you need to ensure that all of your outlets are GFCIs, or ground fault circuit interrupters. These outlets will shut off power to a circuit automatically if they detect an imbalance in electrical current, which prevents possible electrocution.

Toronto is filled with lovely older homes, and while these homes boast a great deal of charm, many of them also feature outdated knob & tube wiring. These electrical systems are not capable of handling the electrical needs of the modern homeowner, and need to be updated. In many cases, an insurance company won’t renew your homeowner policy if you haven’t updated this wiring as it poses a significant fire danger. We can update your system and ensure that you also have an adequate number of outlets in each room.

3. Make Fire Safety A Priority
If a problem does occur with your electrical system, being prepared is more than half the battle. Ensure that you have proper smoke detectors and CO2 detectors installed throughout your home. You also need to have fire extinguishers at the ready in several rooms. Often people only think to keep extinguishers in the kitchen or garage, but you should keep one in each bathroom as well as in bedroom closets. If an electrical fire breaks out in your house, an extinguisher is the only device that can be used to combat this type of fire, so keep these devices handy at all times.

4. Be Child-Safe
If you have children, make sure that your outlet plugs are protected with safety covers or that you use tamper-resistant outlets. Many newer homes do feature tamper-resistant receptacles, which are known as TRRs, but homes built prior to about 2008 might not. Power strip covers also make it difficult for toddlers to play with items plugged into a power strip.

5. DIY Project? Turn Off The Power
While we might not think about turning off the house power when replacing a light bulb, if you are replacing an outlet or installing a ceiling fan or some other minor electrical repair, it is best to turn off the power throughout your home. Generally, we recommend that you hire a professional electrician in Toronto to handle most electrical issues and upgrades.

6. Call A Toronto Electrician
While there are many DIY projects that homeowners can tackle on their own, electrical issues can be quite complicated and to ensure safety, hiring a professional is always the best way to go. Over the years, we’ve seen many disasters and near-disasters that occurred when homeowners tried to complete advanced electrical projects.

At Tesla Electric, our Toronto electricians can complete any level of electrical project you might have. This includes any repairs you might need as well as knob & tube replacement, LED lighting and potlight installation. If you need a Toronto electrician, give us a call today and we will set up an appointment. Our electricians have more than 40 years of experience, and we provide a lifetime guarantee on all of our work.