Be Aware Of Overloading Circuits

6/16/2021 (Permalink)

Fire Damaged Power Box

With the summer months coming, it's easy to forget that overloading circuits with air conditioners and fans can be fatal if proper wattage is not regulated in your home.

Never overload electrical outlets and circuits. Overloaded electrical outlets, or circuits that supply power to several outlets, is a major cause of residential fires. Overloaded outlets and circuits carry too much electricity, which generates heat in undetectable amounts. The heat causes wear on the internal wiring system and can ignite a fire.

All wiring systems have circuit breakers or fuses that disconnect power when circuits become overloaded.

To prevent overloading, never plug more than two appliances into an outlet at once or use multiple extension cords or power strips to power devices. Use only outlets designed to handle multiple plugs.

Give special consideration to appliances that use 1,000 or more watts, such as air conditioners, refrigerators, hot plates, irons, microwave ovens, dishwashers, heaters, and deep fryers. Avoid plugging them into the same outlet or circuit. To use these appliances safely, know which outlets are connected to the same electrical circuit in your home. The electrical box in your home should be labeled to tell you where different circuits provide power. For devices, wattage requirements are listed in appliance manufacturer's instructions.

Begin a habit of regularly checking electrical cords and outlets. Fires that begin in these areas are difficult to detect, yet easy to prevent.