During winter, you’re probably going to use more electricity since there is a shortage of sunlight. Besides, you will want to use a heater to keep your home warm due to the chilly temperatures. And your indoor stays may last longer since you don’t want to go outside as often.
Since most activities you engage need electricity, the chances of electrical faults and accidents are heightened. It’s crucial to be careful because winter often comes with several electrical hazards due to the strong rainfall, wind, and snow. Remember, electrical accidents are dangerous and often life-threatening and can destroy properties.
During winter, you have little room for mistakes when dealing with electricity. It would be best if you cross-checked everything in and outside your home to ensure that your family is safe at all times. Here are some tips that you can use to secure yourself from electrical accidents during winter in California.
1. Shield Your Electrical System From Water Leaks
Winter comes with snow, rain, and winds. These three elements predispose your electrical system to water leaks. Therefore, you should ensure that you seal all cracks and leakage points in your home before winter. You already know that water and electricity don’t mix. It means that water leaks could cause electrical faults and hazards. Being vigilant saves you and your family from the dangers that come with these electrical accidents.
It’s vital to give the whole electrical system some extra attention when doing this. Therefore, inspect all areas in your home, especially those near electrical wiring, outlets, and sockets, and make sure they’re safe from water leaks. Cover it up and seal the leakage if you notice any wiring or appliances anywhere near a water leak trail. In doing so, you’re safeguarding your life and property from electrical damage.
2. Switch Off Electrical Outlets Before Sleeping
If you’re not careful, your electrical outlets could put your life in harm’s way, especially if they’re connected to appliances. A simple fault caused by a short circuit can lead to sparks or fires that could burn or kill someone. Even when a storm comes during the night, you will be safe from hazards caused by electricity or lightning. Therefore, it’s advisable to ensure that you switch off the outlets before sleeping.
Besides, switching your electrical outlets before heading to sleep helps reduce your energy bill. (Your energy bill surges sharply during winter due to the extended indoor life).
3. Ensure That Your Electrician Is Licensed
During winter, electrical appliances, outlets, and other gadgets in your home are liable to short circuits or damage. It means that you might have to use the services of an electrician to fix such faults. It’s important to ensure that your electrician is licensed. More importantly, do not try DIY fixes on any appliance in your home.
The main reason for this is that licensed professionals have undergone rigorous hours of training and a series of examinations to ensure that they’re fit to work as electricians. You are least assured that if they fix your outlets, appliances, and other electrical parts, they’re doing it at a professional capacity. It minimizes the risk of fires and other hazards later on when you’re using repaired electrical appliances.
Additionally, licensed electricians have the necessary insurance coverage, which saves you from paying for costs associated with accidents or property damage during their work. Therefore, you won’t have to pay extra to take care of structural damage or their medical bill if they get injured in the line of duty.
4. Install Surplus Outlets
Overloading your electrical outlets during winter is a bad idea since everybody has doubled the electricity they normally use. It means that there probably will be an electrical shortage. Thus, overloading your outlets might not be the best idea. Also, electricity during this time keeps fluctuating, increasing the likelihood of electrical accidents.
To avoid all this, you should install more power outlets. By having surplus power outlets, you minimize the need to overload a particular socket. Again, refrain from DIY fixes but rather seek the services of licensed professional electricians to handle these tasks for you.
5. Install a Power Surge Suppressor
During this time, power surges are a common occurrence. It can be attributed to the heightened use of electricity as people spend more time in their homes. You can choose to be on the safe side: hiring an electrician to install a power surge suppressor on your main panel before winter. The suppressor will protect your home and all appliances in it from electrical faults that result from power fluctuations.
6. Get an Electrician to Inspect your Wiring System Regularly
The condition of your wiring might be putting your life in grave danger, especially during times when your electrical usage is high. If your wiring is worn out, uncovered, damaged, or touching flammable objects, then you’re risking a lot.
You may want to be on the safe side by having a licensed electrician inspect your wiring to ascertain that everything is running as it should be. In the event of a damaged or naked wire, you should order an immediate replacement or patch-up to prevent electrical accidents.
The need for such an inspection might be higher if you have little kids in your home. Kids are prone to accidents when playing around the home during winter. You don’t want your children stumbling into a naked electrical wire because they will get hurt or, worse, end up dead. Therefore, ensure that your electrician inspects your wiring system at least once or twice a year to be on the safe side.
7. Develop a Safety Checklist
Being cautious and prepared for electrical faults during winter is a nice way of protecting you and your loved ones. You can do this by designing a simple winter checklist that helps you address all electrical precautions and protection activities you need taken care of before and during winter.
Using a checklist minimizes the chances of missing out on any safety measures that could come in handy during this time. It will be easier to plan and execute such measures since you have outlined all essential activities. You will easily safeguard your home from electrical hazards without having to rack your brain. It will even be easier to multitask since you’re assured that you are not overlooking anything.
It’s paramount to protect your home from electrical hazards during winter since you will be spending more time in your house than anywhere else. Besides, the dwindling sunlight implies that your electricity usage will increase sharply because you will use more lighting, appliance, and heaters to make your stay in the house comfortable.
But the risks of electrical accidents are higher. Therefore, you should ensure that your home is safe from such accidents by following standard procedures such as adding outlets, using power suppressors, or inspecting the wiring system.
Are you in need of electrical experts to help you secure your home from electrical accidents during winter? Huft Home Service offers the best electrical services in Sacramento and the surrounding areas. We bring you licensed electrical, plumbing, insulation, and HVAC systems experts to help you with technical areas in your home. Our experts have been trained and certified to handle complex tasks for you.
Contact Huft Home Service now for high-quality heating, cooling, plumbing, and electrical services.
