In life there are many things we take for granted that weren’t even thought of just over a century ago, that is until they aren’t around or there is a major emergency disrupting our enjoyment of them. Electricity is a big one. Few people stop to think what they would do if there was a common electrical emergency and the sad thing is, electricity can kill instantly if handled incorrectly.
Do you know what you would do in an electrical emergency? Here are some of the common household emergencies that you need to know about so as to be prepared should you ever be confronted with any of these situations.
As always, if it seems too dangerous of a task, it’s best to call a professional like Fulham Electricians to handle any major issues!
If you’re looking for additional electrical safety checks, take a look at this article from GKT.
Faulty Wiring
Have you ever gone into a room, switched on the light only to see it blink in and out whilst a crackling sound and the smell of smoke permeates the room? That can often be the result of faulty wiring in the home but that light not working is the least of your problems! It seems that there is probably a short somewhere and if you don’t disconnect the circuit immediately, your entire home could burn to the ground. What should you do?
Switch off the light, quickly get to the fuse/circuit box and either turn off the mains or at least switch off that circuit or take the fuse out. Then call an electrician immediately to repair the shorted out circuit. If you haven’t ever found the need to use the services of an electrician, a quick Google search should help.
Broken or Damaged Power Cord
Another common electrical emergency starts with a damaged or broken power cord. When two live wires short out they spark and again, a fire could result from those sparks. Since it may be too dangerous to reach down and pull out that plug, run as fast as you can and pull the power to that room or the entire house. As in the case of faulty wiring in the walls, you can’t be sure that it is safe to simply unplug the cord from the receptacle/socket. If there are any doubts whatsoever if the cause of the short is inside your walls, call an electrician out to investigate the cause. If it is a clear case of the wire being damaged, simply discard the device that is shorting out or have the cord replaced by a repairman.
Lightning Strikes
In some parts of the world lightning storms are commonplace with Australia being one of those places, especially during rainy season. If lightning strikes your house, it can almost be guaranteed that a fire will break out somewhere along its path to ground. Turning off the power mains may not help at all so it might be in your best interest to call the fire department out ‘in case’ your home suddenly bursts into flame. Here again, call an electrician out as soon as possible to diagnose all the circuits in your home to make sure it is safe to turn the power back on.
Recognising the most common electrical emergencies is just part of the ‘fix.’ Getting to the root of the problem is important but ensuring it won’t happen again is most important. If any of these situations should occur, follow the above steps so that an out-of-control fire doesn’t start. Have all repairs made promptly and you should be safe to go on as before.