The Facts about Electrical Safety:

How to Protect yourself from electrocution & electrical related injuries:
We urge our customers to help protect themselves from electrocution and electrical related injuries by being pro-active. We ask that you check for problems in your home electrical systems and be ever vigilant for electrical hazards around the home like fraying cords or cracked wall plates and overheating cords. Make sure to use only the proper wattage light bulbs in all fixtures. Check all your outlets and circuits to be sure they aren’t overloaded, and use extension cords only on a temporary basis. Be sure that the extension cords are rated for their intended use. And ALWAYS follow appropriate safety precautions and manufacturer’s instructions on all electrical items. Make sure that GFCI protection covers all circuits that come near water sources, such as bathrooms, kitchens, and outdoors, and consider it for whole house coverage. Please remember to test smoke alarms & GFCIs monthly. Replace smoke detector batteries twice a year and consider Arc Fault circuit interrupters for your homes electrical panel, particularly for older homes. If you would like us to check these items for you, consider our ELECTRICAL SERVICE AGREEMENT.


• If you experienced ice build up over last winter’s storms, now is the time to prepare for next winter. Call us to discuss a snow melt system for your roof to prevent further damage next winter
• As we are heavy in the thunderstorm season and you are constantly unplugging your computer and television sets, it’s a good time to discuss a home surge suppression system.
• If you have limited power supply in your garage or workshop, now’s the time to call us to add a subpanel for more power. The digging is easy and there is still time for fresh grass to grow over the trench line before the first frost.
• Not all light bulbs are designed to work in all fixtures. Be sure that the light bulb you are buying will work with the fixture installed in your home.

RESIDENTIAL SAFETY CHECKLIST:
• Check outlets that have loose-fitting plugs, which can overheat and lead to fire. Replace any missing or broken wall plates. Make sure there are safety covers on all unused outlets that are accessible to children or upgrade to the tamperproof receptacle
• Make sure all cords are in good condition – not frayed or cracked. Cords should never be nailed or stapled to the wall, baseboard or other object. Do not place cords under carpets or rugs or rest any furniture on them.
• Make sure your plugs fit your outlets. Never remove the ground pin (third prong) to make a three prong plug fit a two conductor outlet. This could lead to electrical shock.
• GFCIs should be used in any area where water and electricity may come into contact. When a GFCI senses current leakage it assumes a ground fault has occurred. It then interrupts power fast enough to help prevent serious injury.
• Halogen floor lamps operate at much higher temperatures than a standard incandescent light bulb. Never place a halogen floor lamp where it could come into contact with draperies, clothing or other combustible materials.