Below is a list of common electrical hazards in your house and how you can avoid them:

This applies both to wires you can and cannot see. We recommend checking on all exposed wiring and cords in your home to see if any are brittle, fraying, or worn. Loss of insulation around wiring and cords is a quick way to create fire hazards. For older wiring, you’ll need an electrician on the job. Watch for signs of discoloration on walls, outlets, and switches that can warn of bad wiring.

You probably understand that leaving cords and wires out on the floor is a tripping hazard. But the answer isn’t to run these wires and cords under rugs and furniture. When these wires heat up, they may create fires. Ask for an electrician to handle the wiring to keep it hidden and safe.

Water is a huge danger with electricity, and you probably already know this. This makes electrical appliances in the bathroom and kitchen potential hazards. To increase safety in these rooms, have electricians replaced older outlets with GFCI outlets (they have dual buttons between the two outlets). These outlets are designed to cut off power to anything plugged into them if electricity begins to flow into the ground—i.e. through a person.

When an electrical fire starts, your first instinct may be to throw water on it. This may not work and might even make the fire larger as the electricity uses the water as a conduit. Make sure you know where the fire extinguisher is and how to use it. The foam from the extinguisher will safely put out the fire.

Thankfully, extension cords aren’t used as much as they once were because new homes have a larger number of outlets. They are major contributors to house fires and can easily overload outlets. (Plus there’s that tripping hazard again.) If you’re still trapped using extension cords in your house, arrange with our electricians to put in extra outlets.

It’s easy to forget that you should never handle electrical appliances or plug anything into a wall socket when you have wet hands. Wet hands are one of the top causes for high voltage shocks in a home.

We can’t stress this enough: when you need assistance with your home’s electrical system, don’t attempt to do the work yourself. This is the biggest electrical hazard of all. Please call our electricians and let them do the work safely and correctly.

Anderson Electric Corp is your trusted electrician service in Northern Jersey. Reach out to us for electrical repairs for your home.