As we all know, fires can happen anytime and anywhere, and your house is no exception. It could start in your kitchen, garage, or living space. Despite this possibility, some would claim they’ll be fine since they have a fire extinguisher at home. However, chances are they don’t know how to use it. Plus, in the first place, wouldn’t it be better to prevent fires than solely rely on extinguishers?
From plugging out your appliances when not in use to checking your electrical wiring frequently, there are things you can do to prevent fire-related mishaps. Here are some things you can do to prevent fires from starting in your home.
Unplug Electronics When Not in Use
Excess electricity flowing through your electronics will always be a potential fire hazard. Despite this, some people think that when an electronic is turned off, it’s not using electricity anymore. These people couldn’t be more wrong.
As long as the gadget or appliance is plugged into the socket, it’s using electricity passively, making it a potential fire hazard. Not only that, but it also secretly increases your monthly energy bill. So what should you do?
It’s simple! Just plug out your appliances when they’re not in use. It’s not that complicated, and it only takes a few seconds. It’s an effective strategy to avoid fires from happening in your house.
Clean Your Dryer Vent
While most houses are more prone to fires caused by the dryer vent all year round due to frequent use, dryer vent fires are more common in winter.
People usually wear more clothing during the winter because of the cold. This results in your dryer-vent pulling more lint due to the increased number of clothing getting washed regularly. Those with children will have to wash double the amount of clothes.
Lint is highly flammable. When it builds up enough heat, it will start to spark fire. One thing you can do to avoid this situation is to have your dryer vent cleaned regularly. More importantly, you should also check if the vent isn’t blocked by ice or snow. If the vent is blocked, the lint will have nowhere to go, accumulating more and more until it’s taken care of.
The unfortunate thing is that not everyone checks their dryer vents regularly. Even some fire prevention and safety tips don’t talk about them. To know more about fire prevention in your home, you could work with a Health and Safety Representative or HSR. Luckily, there are plenty of HSRs you can contact that can help you with fire and safety tips.
For example, if you live in Australia, you can take hsr training darwin, Perth, Cairns, Melbourne, and more, which could help you learn how to fireproof your home and what to do during a fire.
Use Surge Protectors
Electrical surges are when excess electricity flows into your wirings, creating the potential for your appliances and gadgets to overheat and cause a fire. There are many causes for an electrical surge, like improper wiring, damaged circuits, and more. Hence, to prevent this, one thing you can do is to use a surge protector.
Surge protectors keep electrical surges from getting into your gadgets and appliances, keeping them protected from damage and, most importantly, from being a potential fire hazard. There are quality surge protectors in the market nowadays, so you don’t have to look far and wide just to find a reliable one.
Avoid Electrical Overloading
Overloading your electrical circuits is a huge fire hazard, but what is it exactly?? Electrical overload happens when you plug in too many gadgets and appliances in one electrical outlet.
Electrical outlets usually have a threshold of 120 volts, but it usually depends on the socket you’re using. It can be a fire hazard when you’re over that threshold. So what should you do?
Usually, it’s recommended that every high energy-consuming appliance, like air conditioners and refrigerators, should have a dedicated electrical outlet. It’s a good strategy to ensure you’re not overloading your electrical outlets. And, of course, you should plug it off when not in use.
Never Leave Flames Unattended
Unattended flames have been a common cause of fires in homes for many years. However, a lot of fire incidents still occur due to it. This is usually due to carelessness, thinking that nothing will happen if the fire is left on its own. That said, you should not leave flames unattended if you’re cooking, lighting candles, or doing any activity involving fire.
Make sure that you’re keeping watch of any flames inside your house and nothing inflammable is nearby. This is a good way to prevent fires in your home and prevent someone from getting hurt.
Declutter
Decluttering your house not only turns it into a cleaner space. It also lessens the risk of your home becoming a fire hazard. When your house has too much clutter, it’s prone to spontaneous fire. This is especially true if the clutter is flammable, like paper, cardboard, plastics, etc.
The worst-case scenario would be that if a small fire starts, some clutter will catch fire, making it easier for the fire to spread to other parts of the house.
Final Words
Fires can happen anytime and anywhere. It’s usually a good idea to know what to do when you’re experiencing one, but it’s always better to prevent it from happening in the first place. That said, by following the tips we discussed above, you can ensure that something like that won’t happen in your house. Remember, prevention is better than the cure.
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