How To Handle Electrical Emergencies At Home

When faced with an electrical emergency at home, you need to understand that every second counts. Fire can spread quickly, the sooner you put it out the better. Sometimes, fires occur not as a result of negligence, but things beyond our control e.g., electrical surges or faulty equipment. 

Prevention is better than cure. Keeping all your electricals in check and well maintained can help prevent electrical disasters from happening. Nonetheless, it helps to be aware of which steps to take in case of an electrical emergency. If you’re prepared, you give yourself a better chance at handling it. That being said, here are some tips on how to handle some common electrical emergencies:

• 1. Electrical fires 

Electrical fires can be caused by exposed electrical wires, space heaters, improperly positioned extension cords, and faulty electrical systems or appliances. 

Usually, electrical fires don’t give you a warning sign that a disaster is imminent, it just happens. But some disasters can be prevented if detected early. That’s why it's important to do regular electrical maintenance checks to prevent electrical fires from occurring. You can consult a professional electrician from a reputable company in your area like Electrician Hills District to assist you with such emergencies. Here are some of the steps to take heed of in case of emergency: 

1. Call 911 immediately. If the fire is extremely out of hand, you should look for emergency fire services urgently. Time is money when it comes to putting out a fire. Even if you manage to put the fire under control, still call 911 for the sake of prudence. Flammable household items and hidden wires could reignite.  
2. To prevent any further damages from happening, completely disconnect the power by flipping the switch on the circuit breaker box. Turning off a faulty appliance may not suffice because there’s still a risk that something else might have been affected in the electrical system. You’re not safe until you’re sure that the root problem has been addressed.  
3. Use a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. This works if the fire is identified early. Ideally, every home should be equipped with at least one fire extinguisher and everyone in the household should know how to operate it. You should use a Class-C fire extinguisher that uses dry chemicals, not the Class-A extinguishers which are water-based. Keep in mind that water and electricity are not a good combination.  
4. If you can’t control the fire, evacuate. Ensure that your family is safe and sound. Get out of the house as quickly as possible. Don’t put yourself or your family at risk for something like this. Your life is more important.
5. Lastly, call the electrician. The electrician will assess the damages. They’ll know what and how to address the damages that were caused as a result of the fire. 

 

• 2. Power outage  

Outages are less dangerous than electrical fires. When an outage transpires, don’t panic. It could be a fault that caused an outage or it could be something else. Here are the steps you ought to take if an outage occurs:

1. Pull out your phone/s, switch on the flashlight and check whether everyone in the house is okay.  
2. Check your breakers to confirm if there was an overload. If there is an electrical circuit overload, your houses’ circuit breaker is engaged and cuts off the electricity supply. This is done to prevent a house fire. If this didn’t happen, the overload could cause wires to melt and ignite a fire. 
3. Call your neighbors to find out if they have the same problem. If your neighbors advise that their electricity is working, switch off your electricity immediately and call the electrician. This is a sign that this fault is exclusive to your house. But if the neighbors say that they too have the same issue, the electricity source is likely the problem. Call your electricity company or service provider and find out what happened.  
4. Also, check your surge protectors to see if they are still functioning. They protect your devices from dangerous power surges. So, if it doesn’t turn on, it could very well be the case that a power surge took place. Your electrician should come and inspect the situation.

      
        3. Burnt outlets  

Burnt outlets can cause fires too, if you see any buzzing switches or outlets, switch off the circuit instantly. If there’s something plugged in, remove it. Don’t ignore these signs. Rather call the electrician and have it checked out as soon as possible.  

Conclusion 

When faced with an electrical emergency at home, bear in mind that the first point of call should be 911. Then at some point, you’ll have to ask the help of your electrician. The extent of damages needs to be assessed if there were any. The electrician will be able to establish the cause of the electrical emergency and fix it immediately.  Ideally, prevention is better than cure. Regular maintenance is the key to prevent such emergency situations from happening. Take heed of the listed guide and tips in this article if you’re caught up in this kind of emergency. 

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