Prevent House Fires by Understanding Electrical Outlet Guidelines

6/3/2021 (Permalink)

Electrical fires are some of the most common types of household fires. in fact, according to the National Fire Protection Agency, the second leading cause of fires in homes in the United States was electronic malfunctions.

Understanding electrical outlet guidelines can help you prevent an electrical fire in your home. Knowing the answer to seemingly simple questions like: "How many cords is too many?", "How can we ensure that we are protecting our homes from electrical fires?", and "how many plugs can I plug into this outlet?", can be the difference between life and death.

Guidelines

The FEMA report also outlines a number of guidelines concerning fire safety when interacting with appliances, outlets, and extension cords.

Appliances

Major appliances like refrigerators, washing machines and microwaves, should only be plugged directly into wall outlets. The electrical cords and wires used with these appliances should be closely monitored, as the faster you can identify damage, such as cracking or loosening, the better you can prevent an electrical fire.

Outlets and Extension Cords

Never overload an outlet with more plugs than it is designed to handle. That being said, electrical cords should also always be fully inserted into sockets and three-pronged cords should never be forced into a two-prong outlet. It is especially important to never overload extension cords, as they are only intended to serve as temporary power sources. You can often find out about an extension cord’s capacity by checking its packaging. 

Electrical fires can still happen no matter what If you ever find yourself in the unfortunate position of needing fire damage restoration services, please give SERVPRO of Marlton/Morningside a call at (301) 856-5402.