Every year thousands of home fires are reported in which many people lose their lives while some get serious injuries. This is something very common during the holiday season especially when Christmas and New Year is near. Since it is the time for celebration, people tend to put decorative lights and spend more time in kitchen cooking some scrumptious meals for the family that can add to the ambience. These activities increase the chance of electrical accidents and not to forget home fires. Here are some simple tips to keep yourself and your loved ones safe from electrical fires:

• You must never leave a toaster or stove unattended

• Cooking is one of the major causes of home fires. It is important that you never leave a child alone when you are cooking especially when an electrical appliance within reach

• During the holiday season, it is common to have more cooking activity. However, you must never overburden your electrical system by running space heaters, dryers, running clothes and other energy appliance at the same time

• Blown fuses, tripped circuit breakers and flickering lights are clear indication of your home’s electrical system being overloaded. Keep an eye on such signs and work accordingly

• You must inspect your electrical items thoroughly before you use them. Look for any frayed or cracked appliance cords, loose connection and exposed wires

• During the holiday season, you must only use non-flammable items and decorations. You must also place them away from the heating vents. It is better to avoid candles to the maximum

• When you decorate your house, it is recommended not to nail through or staple the light strings. You must never overload your outlets by lighting your house in an extensive manner

• Always check that smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and carbon mono oxide detectors are working perfectly fine

• Before you go to the bed or leave your house, always remember to switch off or unplug the decorations

Electrical fires in old homes

It is a fact that old homes have a limited number of electric outlets. The electrical system of these homes is not equipped to bear the today’s increased power demands.

According a recent, it was found that almost thirty percent of the houses in U.S. are at least thirty years old. Their wiring is not designed to handle the present load. The demand of electricity in household has increased a lot over the period of time. There is a massive increase in the usage of electronic appliances and devices and the old homes are unable to manage it safely. The question arises how you can prevent your old home from such electrical fires that usually arise by overloading an outlet. Here are some tips that you may find useful:

• You must be well aware of the amount of power you are placing on a circuit or an outlet. Each outlet or circuit must not exceed fifteen hundred Watts

• Always remember not to plug more than two appliances into one outlet at the same time. The same rule goes for when you use an extension cord for running appliances. It is better if you use only those outlets that are designed to handle multiple plugs

• Major appliances like washers, dryers, stoves, refrigerators and air conditioners must always be plugged directly into the wall outlets because they are heavy power users

• In case you feel that you are overloading a specific circuit or an outlet in your home, it is better to seek professional’s help immediately. He will surely be able to solve your problem

• You must always look for licensed electricians to install, repair and dismantle jobsite wiring. Hiring such professionals means that everything will be done according to the electrical safety needs, ensuring the protection of the homeowners. Hiring a certified professional also reduces the chances of any possible injuries that may arise by hiring an untrained person

• When using an extension cord, it is important that you check it before you plug in it. You must check whether its insulation is properly intact or not. The extension should be free of abrasion, tears and cracks. The power extension cable must not be knotted because it can damage the conductor and increases the risk of fire

• You must watch for the warning signs of electrical system being overloaded. The signs include:

• Lights blinking, getting dim or flickering

• Circuit breakers trip or when fuses tend to blow quite often

• Wall plates or cords are warm to the touch or if they are getting discolored

• Buzzing, sizzling and crackling sounds coming from the outlets.

These tips are not hard to follow. By following such tips in mind, you can actually keep your loved ones safe from any unpleasant incidents arising from electricity-related fires.