Summer Electrical Safety Tips: Around the Home

One of the most important things to remember is that water and electricity don’t mix well—in fact, they are deadly dangerous together. Many of these summer electrical safety tips take this basic rule into consideration:

• Keep all electrical toys and appliances away from the water. This means pools, bathtubs, sprinkler systems, sinks, etc.
• Do not touch an electrical toy or appliance if you are wet or standing in the water. Electricity travels very quickly through water and leads to electrocution!
• Make sure the electrical connections to your pools and hot tubs are fully grounded. Our residential electricians can help you if you have any questions about appliance connections and their safety.
• Make sure all major appliances (washers, dryers, refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.) are plugged into grounded outlets and not extension cords!
• Now is also a good time to go around your home and see that you have GFCI outlets installed in all “wet” areas of your home (bathrooms, kitchens, garages, basements, pool rooms, etc.)
• In the event of an emergency, know where your circuit breakers are and how to safely turn them off.
• Never plug in any appliance if you notice that the cord is frayed or damaged in anyway.