Electricity and Wiring Safety

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Electricity and Wiring Safety

Moving on to the house, one of the big safety factors is electricity and wiring. If you’re buying a house, make sure you get it inspected first, even if not required by law. Worn or outmoded wiring can be very dangerous, and expensive to replace. One thing every house needs is ground fault circuit interrupters in all kitchens and bathrooms, and arc fault circuit interrupters in every bedroom. They’ve probably saved thousands of lives over the years, by preventing electrical fires. Once you have them installed, be sure to test them on a regular basis to make sure they’re in good working order. Another home safety risk that many people aren’t aware of is carbon monoxide poisoning. Most people think CO poisoning only happens in garages with running cars, but that’s not the case. Furnaces, wood stoves, and other heating devices create carbon monoxide, and if they malfunction, the consequences can be deadly. Hundreds of people die every year from CO poisoning inside their houses. Carbon monoxide is clear and odorless, and therefore undetectable by humans. Most victims of CO poisoning never knew what hit them. You should have your furnace checked by a certified technician to test for CO leaks. In addition, inexpensive carbon monoxide detectors are now available, and it’s a good idea to put one near the furnace, and in sleeping areas. With the high cost of electricity, heating oil, and natural gas, more and more people these days are turning to wood and corn pellet stoves to reduce their utility bills. These can be very helpful in reducing bills, and when used properly can add a sense of coziness to the home. If you’re going to purchase one, it’s best to buy a new one, or one that’s not very old and hasn’t been used much. Older stoves and worn out ones don’t come anywhere near meeting today’s safety standards, and shouldn’t be used. And just like with furnaces, you’ll definitely need carbon monoxide detectors if you’re using a stove for heat. It’s a necessity. And if you have small children in the house, you’ll want to purchase a heavy screen to put around the stove, to prevent them from touching it and getting burned. Small children should always be kept away from heating stoves, even when not in use, so they don’t get used to playing around it and accidentally burn themselves when it actually is in use.

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