Most homeowners have been guilty of overloading outlets at some point in their lives. It is an especially easy mistake to make when the house that you live in does not have enough outlets to power everything that you need. A simple solution is to use power strips or some other device that extends the number of places that you can plug into. In some situations this is a fine practice, but make sure that you are fully aware of the danger of overloading outlets in your home.
Learn More About the Danger of Overloading Outlets
The danger of overloading outlets is a grave and quite often a fatal mistake for homeowners. The National Fire Protection Association estimates that 47,700 house fires per year in the United States are due to electrical failure and that the cause is very often due to overloading outlets. These types of fires result in over 400 deaths, more than 1000 injuries, and over a billion dollars in property damages every year.
Due to the constant power flowing into your appliances at all times of the day, you can never know when an electrical fire could start. If you are overloading outlets, then the fire could start in the middle of the night or when you are out of town. So it is very important to be as proactive as you can to avoid the danger of overloading outlets.
As mentioned above, the main way that you can avoid this is by avoiding the use of multi-outlet converters and extension cords for appliances. The danger in doing this is the amount of power from an outlet never changes, you are only changing how the power is distributed. So, appliances that consume more watts than the outlet or extension cord can handle will cause things to overheat. The heat itself can cause fires or fling out sparks that fly onto flammable household objects and cause fires there.
Another way to avoid the danger of overloading outlets is to use the correct type of light bulbs. A light bulb with a higher watt consumption than what the outlet can handle will cause an excess of heat to be generated. This is dangerous for the surrounding area and can cause fires where it has been placed.
To learn more about the danger of overloading outlets, get in touch with Tim Kyle Electric. You can talk to an expert about new installations of lighting and wiring, among other things, for your home or business.
About Tim Kyle Electric
Tim Kyle Electric has been delighting our customers with responsive, trusted and professional electrical services since 1986. We provide residential, commercial and solar power services and are experts in our field. Our team of professionally trained employees uphold our core values of honesty, respect and integrity. We are available 24/7 for your electrical servicing needs. Get in touch with us today to discuss your next electrical project.