Electrical Fires

Electrical Hazards

Most home electrical fires are caused by faulty wiring, hidden dangers no layman could detect without an inspection by an electrician. In fact, one third of all electrical fires in urban areas are caused by faulty wiring.

Some of us live in older homes by choice, some out of necessity. Whatever the case, one of the best upgrades to consider is rewiring. Think of modern appliances, new electronic toys and games, all common elements in many households, that were not considered in wiring loads for homes built prior to the 1980s. Those exposed wires with porcelain connectors found in charming homes from the 20s do not contribute to that charm.

Warning Signs

A few of the warning signs of faulty or insufficient wiring include

• Flickering lights. If your home’s lights dim whenever you turn on an appliance, especially one with a large draw, that’s a sure sign of a circuit overload or a loose connection.
• Sparks. You shouldn’t see sparks when you insert a cord into or pull it out of the outlet. The cause is probably a loose connection.
• Warm electrical cords indicate the cord is underrated or defective. This is a particular problem with an extension cord that is not rated for the wattage drawn by appliances plugged into it.
• Frequent blown fuses or broken circuits. Fuses and circuit breakers can wear out, but if you have continued problems on the same circuit, you have to determine the problem. Removing some of the load from the circuit will help, but will not solve the long-term problem. Always use the correct size fuse or breaker when replacing burned out units. Fuses are designed to limit the electricity to a safe level for that circuit.
• Outdoor receptacles and those in kitchens and bathrooms or anywhere close to water should be the ground fault circuit interrupting type (GFCI).
• Frequent light bulb burnouts also indicate the wattage of the bulb exceeds the recommendation on the fixture. Those little tags that say “do not exceed” a certain wattage are there for a reason.

When you’re working on home projects that involve electricity, it’s best to hire a professional electrician. While many lighting fixtures or switch and outlet replacements appear to be simple chores and could be done safely by an experienced Do-It-Yourselfer, if you have any questions or concerns once you get down to the home wiring, make that call. In fact, many problems result from improper installation of electrical components that were done by DIYers. Common mistakes include improperly rated devices and loose connections. Either can lead to overheating and arcing that can start fires.

In older homes, you’ll often pull out the old fixture and be faced with a mishmash of wiring that has obviously been botched by a previous owner. With many home repair projects, you know immediately if it works or not. Turn on the water to a new sink or faucet and it leaks–you know you messed up. Screw in the faceplate on an electrical task and the first indication of your error could be a fire in the walls or attic. As an additional incentive to call a professional, inspections done at resale could uncover bad workmanship and you’re back to square one with an untimely call to that pro.

Appliances are not off the hook as sources of electrical house fires. Those most often involved are electrical stoves and ovens, dryers, central heating units, television sets, radios and record players. The latter are rarities in most homes, but still make sure your component sound system does not exceed the wattage load of the circuit bearing that load.

Electrical Safety

Here are some tips, many repeated from other danger zones.

• Check electrical equipment cords for fraying and heat build up.
• Do not run cords or extension cords under rugs or trap them between furniture and walls.
• Do not overload extension cords or outlets.
• Pay attention to electrical equipment in kitchens and bathrooms, keeping them away from wet floors and counters. Be aware that hair dryers put a heavy load on any system.
• When buying electrical appliances, stick with products that meet the Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) standards for safety.
• Keep combustibles at least three feet from all heaters, including wood stoves and fireplaces.
• If an appliance has a three-prong plug, do not try to force it into a two-slot outlet or extension cord.
• Shut off and replace light switches that are hot to the touch or result in lights that flicker. These are both signs of a problem with the circuitry.
• Halogen light bulbs generate more heat than conventional bulbs, enough heat to ignite combustibles that come in contact with them. Table lamps should not be used without a lampshade.
• Pay the same attention to electrical tools that you give to appliances.

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