If you’re a homeowner, you’re probably aware that your home’s electrical and wiring system is essential to your family’s safety and comfort. You may not be aware that regular maintenance and inspections are the best safety precaution you can take against hazards like short circuits and electrical fires.
It helps to establish a long-term relationship with a trusted residential electric contractor, who can ensure that your home electrical system is running at maximum efficiency and safety. With the care of your electrical system in reliable hands, you can sleep easy.
Electrical fires are very common
Electrical fires are much more common than most people realize. Each year, electrical fires cause property damage worth $1.5 billion. Between 2007 and 2011, faults in electrical wiring and related equipment caused the largest number – some 63% of the total – of home structure fires due to electrical distribution or lighting. Lamps, light bulbs and lighting fixtures caused 20%, and cords and plugs were responsible for 11% of the fires. Transformers and power suppliers accounted for 6% of the total home structure fires.
In total numbers, in 2011, this amounted to around 47,700 of the home structure fires recorded by U.S. fire departments being attributed to some kind of electrical problems or malfunction.
Regular maintenance is the best safety precaution
Regular inspections and maintenance by a reliable residential electric contractor is one of the best safety measures you can take. But when should you call an electrician? Most experts suggest that homes that are 10 years and older should have inspections done after major renovations or when new appliances are installed.
If your home is 40 years old or older, the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) recommends finding a qualified electrician to conduct and inspection to for potential hazards. An emergency is not a good time to go about finding a qualified electrician. For homeowners concerned with safety, finding and establishing contact with a reliable electrical contractor is a smart move.
