Authored by: UrbanWale Blog Contributor, Nisha Singhania
Did you know that residential fires increase dramatically during the winter months? According to the NFPA, electrical problems are the main cause of these fires, with heating problems being the second.
Why are electrical problems so common and what can you do to avoid them? Most people ignore simple electrical safety precautions, possibly because they have never been told or understood how the system works. Just plug in something and magically it has power.
Let's take a closer look and understand what you can do to reduce these risks this winter.
Electrical problems: not enough power
You've probably never seen how much stress your system goes through during the winter months. Even so, your system can feel it. Some common symptoms that can cause you to get the most out of certain circuits or your entire system include:
- Twinkling lights
- Dim lights
- Tripping of circuit breakers
Here are some of the things that residential systems can overload and what you might want to do.
Additional lights
Most people use a lot of extra light during the winter months. After all, night falls much earlier and you usually don't go to bed right away. So, you turn to both table lamps and your ceiling lights to brighten up your interior.
In addition to normal lights, many people also add lights for the holidays. Unfortunately, most people don't understand the limits of a single circuit, what is already connected, and how much it can handle. Moreover, many people do not understand the danger of stacking different types of extensions on top of each other. One of the easy ways to avoid electrical problems in winter season.
Electric radiators and blankets
Space heaters and electric blankets consume a lot of electricity when in use. As such, it can overload some circuits, so you need to be careful with what is on the same circuit. Also pay attention to its height and activation time, as older systems may draw too much current
Old-fashioned electrical system
Speaking of older systems, if your electrical system is over 20 years old, you need to be careful. These systems use cables other than copper, which can become unstable over time. The more you try to draw the system, the more affects you will see.
Too many extensions
Using too many extensions is never a good idea. The more extension cords you put on, the more unstable it becomes. They increase the risk of a faulty signal as well as shocks and fires. The best practice is to use a single extension cord or a single power strip, but no more than one, and certainly not both.
Risk of electrical fire
Coming back to the risk of fire, there are additional things you can look for to easily fix and reduce your risk.
• Damaged lighting cables
Damaged cables are a major cause of electrical fires, especially during the holidays. Most people don't inspect their Christmas lights before putting them on the tree. If there are areas where the insulation is worn and the actual wire is exposed, there is a great risk. Make sure to check your light strands and discard any damaged ones. If you are using a real tree, make sure there is plenty of water in the medium so that it does not dry out too much.
• Extension cord is not rated correctly
Another way to avoid electrical problems in winter season. Different extension cords have different ratings, which correspond to the amount of current that can flow through them. If you try to pass more current through a cable than is designed to handle, the cable will get extremely hot. This can then melt the insulation and cause a short circuit that starts a fire. Make sure you are using the correct cable for your use. If you will be using it outdoors, make sure it is designed for outdoors so that it is isolated from the elements. All of these helps reduce your risk.
• Static Accumulation
When the weather gets cold, the humidity usually decreases. This lack of moisture makes everything drier and increases the appearance of electrostatic charges. This means that you have an increased risk of starting a fire only with electric shock.
To reduce this risk, consider using a humidifier. You can create individual humidifiers in each room or switch to an entire home appliance installed in the HVAC system. Either way, you want to monitor the humidity level. The ideal relative humidity is 35% to 50%. Less than that encourages more static electricity. More than that can lead to mold growth.
These are some authentic ways to avoid electrical problems in winter season. If then also you face electrical issues call Urbanwale to fix electric problem anytime & anywhere. You can book electrical services from website or you can download Urbanwale app from the Google Play store.