How You Can Prevent Electrical Fires from Destroying Your Home
Electrical fires are surprisingly the leading cause of house fires in residential communities. These fires cause extensive property damage and potentially even loss of life when they are severe. To prevent these fires, it is important to practice electrical safety inside your home. As an adjuster that deals with property claims in South Florida, we help assess the damage of many house fires to work with your insurance company. After you suffer fire damage, you will likely want to file a claim with your insurance to receive compensation for any repairs or replacements needed. There are a few ways that you can prevent electrical fires from destroying your home or property.
Maintain Your Electrical Outlets
By paying attention to your electrical outlets and power cords, you can prevent any electrical hazards from creating sparks. Check your outlets to ensure they are fitted tightly to the wall. If your plugs are loose, they can shock you or even become a fire hazard if neglected over time. Be sure to replace any of your broken or cracked wall plates to prevent electric shock. If you have an unutilized outlets in your home, place a protective covering over them before covering them with furniture or other materials.
Don't Play with Electrical Cords
Children and pets may be likely to play around with loose electrical cords that are lying on your floor. Prevent this from happening by securing electrical cords to the wall or covering them with a protective layer. Also, you should never remove any prongs on a cord to try to get it to fit into an outlet. Forcing a cord into an outlet that it doesn't belong is a fire hazard that can shock you.
Don't Fill Your Surge Protectors
When surge protectors are overworked, they can start to fray and become a fire hazard. Also, these surge protectors are not meant to be overloaded with energy. If you use surge protectors to increase the amount of outlets in your home, be sure to invest in the protectors that have an internal overload protection detector. These are designed to prevent electrical hazards.
Replace Frayed Cords
You should never use electrical cords that are frayed. Anytime you have a frayed or cracked cord, you should always replace them immediately to avoid any electrical hazards. If your appliances have frayed cords, you should contact your manufacturer to gain a replacement cord. These are simple ways to keep your home free from having to file a property claim if you suffer from a house fire.
By implementing these practices into your life, you can increase your awareness of electrical hazards that can cause electrical fires in your home. Avoiding property damage is always the best way to stay safe, but accidents happen. When you suffer from fire damage in your home, you may find yourself filing property claims in South Florida to receive compensation. Contact our team of qualified adjusters to hear how we can help you get the compensation you deserve.
