You’ve no doubt heard about Spring cleaning and preparing your home for the warmer weather, but what about preparing for winter? Sure you may think about packing away outdoor furniture or covering the pool, but did you know there are several important things to check inside too?
With most homes using heating during the cooler months, electrical safety needs to be a priority. We recommend following our electrical safety checklist at the start of the cooler seasons each year to ensure your household is safe.
7 Steps For A Safer Home This Winter
At Curran T Electrical & Solar, our Brookvale electricians have decades of experience in keeping Northern Beaches homeowners safe. To further support the safe use of electricity in your home this winter, here are our top tips.
Check Your Smoke Detectors
With the use of heating, the risk of fire is always higher. For this reason, you should test your smoke detectors each winter to ensure they are working correctly. Change the batteries if needed and replace any detectors that are more than 10 years old.
Wherever possible, it is recommended to replace battery-operated smoke alarms with hard-wired, interconnected alarms. This is something our licensed electricians can assist with.
Inspect Your Air Conditioner
If your home has a reverse cycle air conditioner installed for both cooling and heating it is wise to check it over regularly. This includes making sure the outdoor compressor is clean and unobstructed and all filters inside the indoor air conditioning unit are properly cleaned.
If you notice anything is amiss and the unit is not heating properly, you should have it inspected by a licensed electrician. This will ensure it is working correctly and is safe to use.
Clean Your Chimney
While not an electrical safety check, it would be remiss of us not to mention this also. If you have a wood-burning fireplace or stove, have your chimney cleaned by a professional chimney sweep to prevent the buildup of dangerous creosote.
This aids in preventing chimney fires while also making your fireplace more efficient.
Check Your Electrical Cords
Inspect electrical cords for any damage, such as frayed wires or cracks. This includes any extension cords used with heating appliances.
Frayed cords can cause outlets to spark and increase the risk of an electrical fire occurring. You should replace any damaged cords and make sure all cords are properly grounded.
You do not have to dispose of appliances with frayed cords that are still in good working order otherwise. Our qualified electricians can safely replace electrical cords on appliances that are still functional.
Use Space Heaters Safely
Space heaters are one of the more dangerous options for heating your home in winter as they are unstable and easily tipped over. They’re also terribly inefficient.
If you use a space heater, make sure it has a safety switch that will automatically turn it off if it tips over. Keep the heater away from flammable materials such as curtains, blankets, and furniture which can easily ignite if placed too close.
Use Electrical Appliances Safely
Make sure electrical appliances are used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Refrain from overloading outlets, and unplug appliances when not in use.
Plugging too many appliances into the same outlet can lead to your home’s circuit breaker tripping, cutting off all power. If your circuit breaker fails, an overload can cause the wiring to overheat and fire to ignite.
Install Safety Switches
Consider installing safety switches, which can prevent electrical shocks and fires by quickly shutting off power in the event of a fault. This is also something our local electricians are more than happy to facilitate for you.
Curran T – Dedicated To Your Safety This Winter
By following this winter electrical safety checklist, you can help ensure your family’s safety and prevent dangerous electrical incidents during the colder months in Sydney, Australia.
If at any time you are concerned about the safety of your electricity, our emergency electricians in Manly and surrounds are available 24/7 to assist.
For reliable and genuine electricians near you, speak with Currant T Electrical & Solar today at 0439 646 823.
