Electrical Home Safety

Practical and low cost steps reduce the risk for a house fire from electrical malfunctions.

House System & Age Factors

• Keep tree limbs and other objects away from power lines. Address any sagging or damaged lines.

• Circuit breakers and their components don’t have an unlimited life expectancy and are not necessarily safe just because they have not tripped recently.

• Breaker panels in homes over 30 years old should be inspected by a licensed, qualified electrician.

• Homes built prior to 1950 could have knob and tube wiring with exposed wires. Older materials like knob and tube wiring should be removed.

• If a building has aluminum wiring, an electrician should evaluate the condition of the wiring and confirm that connections are secure.

• Pay attention to lightning protection and make sure it is properly grounded and installed.

Key Practices

• Replace Federal Pacific electric panels and Stab Lok circuit breakers. They present a much higher fire risk.

• Watch for overloaded circuits from older fuse boxes or circuit breakers.

• Replace the fuse panel with a modern circuit breaker panel.

• Keep electric panel doors closed.

• Don’t use extension cords for permanent use.

• Use only UL listed cords and power strips.

• Never cover power strips, which can cause overheating.