Unfortunately house fires are often caused by electrical faults and sadly many of these fires result in severe injuries, death and serious damage. This is particularly worrying when you consider that most electrical fires could have been easily prevented and with this in mind, carrying out a few simple checks and being aware of the warning signs could save your life.

Do you know the warning signs of an electrical fire?

Statistics show that the majority of electrical fires happen during the winter months. This is likely to be because the days are shorter and so we tend to have lighting, heating and appliances turned on for longer periods. In addition, we’re more likely to stay at home during the winter, using rooms we don’t use so often in the summer, increasing the risk of a fire resulting from a faulty socket or appliance.

Another major cause of electrical fires is faulty or poor wiring and the danger posed by frayed or exposed wires should never be underestimated. Visible wires can be ‘live’ when touched and can cause an electrical shock or start a fire.

Many people assume that electrical fires start spontaneously but this is not so. In most cases there will have a been a prior warning and things to look out for include switches or plugs which feel hot to the touch. However some plugs to get hot and if this is the case, the manufacturer will have indicted this on the packaging. As a general rule of thumb though, hot plugs or sockets should not be used until they have been checked over by a qualified electrician.

Never be tempted to plug in more than one appliance into a single socket, especially when the socket is already being used to a power an appliance which tends to be used very frequently such as a kettle. Rather than overloading sockets, it’s much, much safer to have additional sockets installed by a qualified electrician.

Get in touch with FirstEye

Here at Firsteye we believe that electrical safety should be taken very seriously and if you would like advice about the electrics in your home, or to obtain a free, no-obligation quote, we’d be delighted to help. To find out more or to arrange an appointment at a time to suit you, please get in touch.