A Lighting Electric

A Lightning Electric
(805) 650-0558
CA LIC #434593

General • Commercial • Industrial • Residential
Contractors
Engineering
Design • Build

Did You Know . . .

Fires are among the leading causes of accidental death in the United States today.  Nearly one-third of residential fires are related to electrical distribution or appliances and equipment. Follow these guidelines to help prevent accidental injury, death and costly property damage due to electrical fires.

Home Office Safety

With the growth of telecommuting, more Americans are setting up shop at home and equipping their home offices with computers, fax machines, modems, and other office equipment. However, many homes—especially older ones—are not really equipped for all these heavy-duty electronics. Look carefully around your home office for these hazards:

Insufficient outlets: Don’t resort to a tangle of extension cords to hook up all your equipment. Use a safety-rated power strip or surge suppressor to connect and protect your computer, fax machine, copier, and printer.

Ungrounded outlets: Many older homes may not have three-prong outlets to ensure that your equipment is safely grounded. Make sure to have an electrician come in and install grounded outlets where they’re needed. Do not cut off the third prong to make the plug fit!

Don’t overload the circuits. Check your breaker or fuse box to determine which outlets are on the same circuit, and be sure that all the equipment you have on a single circuit draws no more than 1,500 watts.

In a lightning storm, unplug your computer directly from the wall outlet. Also, unplug and unhook your modem.

If you lose power while working on your computer, turn the computer off. When the power comes back on, a voltage spike could damage your equipment.

A Lightning Electric

When Your Family's Safety Comes First!

The wiring system in many older homes has not kept pace with today's demand for modern appliances and electrical usage. Dimming lights when an appliance goes on, a shrinking TV picture, slow-heating appliances, or fuses blowing frequently are signals of overloaded circuits. Call a qualified electrician to get expert help.

Avoid using extension cords on a permanent basis and never plug more than two home appliances into an outlet at once to avoid circuit overloading.

Use only outlets designed to handle multiple plugs.

Give special consideration to appliances that use 1,000 or more watts, such as refrigerators, hot plates, irons, microwave ovens, dishwashers, heaters, and air conditioners. Avoid plugging them into the same outlet or circuit.

Do not exceed 1,500 watts for each outlet or circuit. If a circuit breaker trips or a fuse blows frequently, immediately cut down on the number of appliances on that line.

Regularly perform an electrical hazard check to help keep your home and family safe from fires.

 

Electrical Appliance & Cord Safety

“Be sure all
electrical equipment bears
the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) label.”

Source: National Electrical Safety Foundation

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Place cords above rugs and furniture, and do not run cords behind baseboards, curtains and in high-traffic areas. Discontinue use of damaged, abused or worn extension cords and replace as soon possible.

Use appliance cords with three-prong plugs only in a three-slot outlet. Never remove the grounding pin or force it to fit into a two-slot outlet or extension cord. Replace or have appliance repaired if the cord is frayed or damaged.

Replace any appliance or tool if it causes even small electrical shocks, overheats, shorts out or gives off smoke or sparks.

Use light bulbs with the proper wattage that is not too high for the fixture.

Allow air space around heat-producing appliances such as TVs, plug-in radios, stereo sets, computers and powerful lamps to prevent overheating.

Circuit Overload

Electrical Wiring

A functioning smoke alarm dramatically increases your chances of surviving a fire. Replace the batteries twice a year, and remember to practice a home escape plan frequently with your family.
 

Check periodically for loose wall receptacles, loose wires, or loose lighting fixtures. Listen for popping or sizzling sounds behind walls. Immediately shut off, then have a professional replace light switches that are hot to the touch, and lights that spark and flicker.

Smoke Detectors

Licensed • Bonded • Insured

For more Electrical Safety Information, we recommend the following links:

http://www.safeelectricity.org/

http://www.esfi.org/

Or fill out our convenient request for information form, below right,  with any of your questions.

The professionals at A Lightning Electric care about you and your family's safety.
That's why we've put together these important safety facts so you can learn more about protecting your family and property.

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