Electrical Appliances
Fires in the home can be caused by faulty wiring in plugs and electrical appliances or electrical equipment not being used safely. A few simple checks and precautions can make all the difference to the safety of your home.
Wiring
If you notice any of the warning signs below, ask a qualified electrician to check your wiring.
- Hot plugs or sockets.
- Fuses or circuit breakers that blow for no obvious reason.
- Lights that flicker.
- Brown scorch marks on sockets, plugs and fuse boxes.
Electrical appliances
- Turn off and unplug all electrical appliances when you are not using them except those that are meant to be permanently switched on (like the fridge or DVD recorder).
- Avoid multi-way adapters and overloading electric sockets by using several adapters as they may overheat.
- Don't run wires or cables under carpets or rugs – you won't be able to see if they become damaged.
- Check for signs of loose wiring and faulty plugs or sockets (such as scorch marks or flickering lights) and have any problems you find fixed by an electrician.
- Replace worn, damaged or taped up wires and cables.
- Find out if your electrical products are on our product recall list, a list of items which have been recalled by the manufacturers.
- Always use a proper ironing board and turn off the iron after use. Make sure the iron is left to cool on a heat resistant surface away from curtains, carpets and anything else that may catch fire.
- Always switch off curling irons after use and leave to cool on a heat resistant surface away from curtains, carpets and anything else that can catch fire.
Electric blankets
- If your blanket has fraying fabric, scorch marks, exposed elements, creasing/folding, soiling, loose connections or any other type of damage, have it replaced.
- Electric blankets should carry the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) symbol on it.
- Don’t fold electric blankets. Protect the wiring inside them by storing them flat or rolled up.
- Don’t leave an electric blanket switched on all night, unless it is has controls for safe all night use.
- Check whether it is an under or over blanket and use it only for that purpose.
- Use the ties on an under-blanket to secure it to the mattress. This prevents slipping and creasing which could damage the elements.
- Get a new electric blanket at least every 10 years.