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As we all start getting busier in the lead-up to Christmas, it seems like a good idea to remind everyone about electrical safety.
The first thing we should mention is, it is a legal requirement to have a licenced electrician do any maintenance, repair or installation work on the home or business’ power supply. “That would be one of the main things” says Jack Yeadon of JDY Electrical.
In terms of household safety, Jack also mentioned a number of things to consider, and some are simple checks you can quickly do yourself.
First up there’s smoke alarms. Some are hardwired to the mains (with battery backup), which Jack says is ideal because one day your life may depend on them, but the simple battery-powered versions are still better than nothing.
We get reminded annually to replace the batteries in all smoke alarms, “but they also have a shelf life of 10 years, which is something a lot of people don’t realise.”
Elsewhere in your home you should unplug and then visually inspect the condition of your electrical appliances and leads regularly. If anything is suspect, stop using it.
Cast your eyes over all the power and light switches to notice if there are any cracks or damage. If you see anything of concern, ask a licenced electrician for help.
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In terms of using our power systems safely, “Overloading circuits would be a big and common mistake.”
Firstly, minimise the use of powerboards. Jack says there’s no safe guideline for how many you can use because the load capacity of each house is going to be different, but putting one powerboard into another is a definite no-no, and even putting two powerboards in the same twin wall outlet is something you must avoid because they usually share the same wiring behind the wall.
Another regular issue is overloading home systems with too many festive lights. “It’s one we face every Christmas,” he says.
Don’t overload circuits in other ways. Pay attention to what you’re plugging in and using simultaneously. Some appliances or tools place a high demand on their own, let alone having multiple things running from the same circuitry at once.
As the festive season comes closer, be sure that any power you do run out to lights won’t be affected by the weather, or cause another hazard to children, pets or anyone else who enters your front yard.
Make sure all your other leads and appliances don’t pose a hazard to any child, animal or visitor either, and make sure you teach your children to always turn power points off before unplugging anything. Safety switches are fantastic life-saving things, but you never know when they might visit somewhere that doesn’t have them.
As for the infrastructure in the home, you can have a pre- (or post-) purchase inspection done by a licenced electrician to warn you of the likely expense to rectify any issues. There are plenty of lovely old homes in Goulburn that predate the supply of electricity, but Jack says that he’s seen faults in new houses too.
It’s worth ensuring you have surge-protection installed on your switchboard. “We’re lightning-prone in this area”, and they’ve seen homes lose a lot of appliances because there was no such protection.
Another installation item Jack suggested is replacing the halogen downlights with LED units because of the temperatures and associated fire risk. It’s also safest “to get an electrician involved because of the unknowns” with removing the old units.