According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, there are around 51,000 electrical fires every year resulting in more than 500 deaths and approximately $1.3 billion in property damage.
Taking this into account, we’ve made a list of some electrical mistakes that electricians say you need to stop making immediately.
1. Overloading your power strips
Even if your power strip has multiple plugs, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s designed to handle all of them being used simultaneously.
“This is unsafe because most of these power bars or strips are not designed to carry heavy electrical loads and can cause fires, melted plastic, and other problems,” says Darrell Ingeveld, chief executive officer of Brighter Day Electric.
Instead, he actually suggests having additional outlets in your house in order to accommodate your electrical needs.
2. Using extension cords with faulty electrical outlets
A faulty electrical outlet in your home equals tremendous problems, especially when you plug an extension chord into it to power appliances without plugging them in directly.
“Most extension cords are rated for devices that consume a low value of current… and are not designed for large current consuming appliances [like] heaters, coffee makers, toaster ovens, toasters, and cappuccino machines,” says Ingeveld.
Doing so could put your home at fire risk, so you better call an electrician to fix the issue before opting for a workaround.
