Common Red Flags of an Electrical Fire Not to Ignore

House fires should be taken seriously as they cause injuries to thousands of people and billion-dollar damages. However, fire accidents are unavoidable. The only thing you can do is to prevent such accidents by making sure all your electrical appliances and wiring at home are safely done by professionals like the electrician Livonia or any trusted electrical company. 

There are a lot of times that you will see some red flags that you should fix as soon as you notice them. Most homeowners are either ignore these red flags or they just do not know how to interpret these red flags. So, to inform you, we list here the common red flags that you need to be aware of:  

  1. Outdated wirings – electrical wiring maintenance should be done in a continuous process, and you should never tire from doing regular maintenance. Maintenance or replacement should be done especially every after 40 years. An upgrade on your wiring is necessary to ensure that the wiring is sturdy and free from issues.  

When you also add some appliances or fixtures, you would think that using extension cords would be helpful. However, these might impose danger and cause fire accidents. instead of adding excessive extension cords, you may need additional rewiring and outlets at home.   

  1. outlets with issues – there are different possible issues of outlets, and there are also numerous signs that indicate that you have an issue with your outlet. This includes broken outlets, loose outlets, and unresponsive outlets. When you notice that your outlets have one or more of these signs, you need to provide an immediate response and call a professional technician. You also need to check if your appliances are doing OK to ensure that they are not the ones that are broken.  
  1. Over lamping – over lamping refers to excessive wattage usage. When this happens, equipment, say, for instance, a bulb, may use a lot of energy that would result in heat. Now, excessive heat would result in an explosion or fire, as this will melt the socket and the internal wire insulation. be careful.  

Always ensure but your appliance says or equipment has the same wattage in your area. do not use a bulb with a higher wattage limit than what is recommended just to have a brighter light at home. Again, this will result in an explosion or fire accident   

  1. Using too many appliances – we understand that appliances make your life convenient. However, using too many appliances in your home might result in heating too much energy. Appliances such as heaters, AC units, and others, may use too much energy more than what your house can supply. 

Takeaway  

There are still a lot of possible red flags that you need to be aware of in talking about electrical issues. The four that we mentioned are the most common red flags you need to be cautious about. it is important to have your home inspected when you see the first sign of an electrical issue. always contact the professional company that you trust to diagnose and resolve the problem.   

 

 

5 Leading Causes of House Fires

Fire accidents in both residential and commercial areas can cause thousands and thousands of dollars in damage, not adding injuries and deaths they caused to people. Although fire accidents can be quite common and signs are already well-known, still people fall prey to fire accidents. Their potential to happen very swiftly but poses a lot of damage can be very stressful when experienced. This is why we will reiterate to you the leading causes of house fires to give you a chance to prevent further fire incidents that you do not want to happen. Moreover, take note that it is crucially important that you immediately contact electrician Canton for trusted and safe service.

  1. Heating – heaters in your home are a good cause of electrocution and fire accidents. Although they are harmful, you need to understand that each kind of heater has its own specific electric and spatial requirements that you need to have in order for you to efficiently use such an appliance. Spatial requirements refer to the amount of space the appliance needs away from the other appliances or flammable materials to avoid causing an explosion or fire.?

When a heating object is near a warming appliance, it might cause it to be so hot that it can cause a fire. Ensure that you have adequate spaces for heating equipment.? 

  1. Cooking – do you know that 48% of the fire incident in residential spaces are caused by a fire in the kitchen, specifically a cooking fire? It also accounts for several deaths and injuries according to a 2019 report.?

Kitchen accidents are oftentimes caused by grease. This can be induced when you cook oil in high heat and it catches fire. The smoke and petty sparks can ignite into a full flame causing house fires.? 

  1. Smoking – fires caused by cigars, cigarettes, and pipes account for just 5% of the total cases of house fires, according to a report. However, just because they can be rare, does not mean they do not happen or cause big fires. If you are a smoker, or if you have a family member that is a smoker, you need to be alert and be cautious of some leftover cigarettes or cigars. Throw them in a proper place and make sure that ashes are properly disposed of.?
  1. Candles – candles are used in a variety of ways: on a dinner date, during birthday celebrations, in a power outage, or in the bathroom. However you use it, it is important that you never let an open flame unattended. Although they just account for 3% of fire accidents, they are still very dangerous and can still cause death.?

In the cases of a power outage, do not leave the candle unattended, and make sure to extinguish it when you leave the room. Also, make sure that you put it in a place that is secured and not flammable like concrete or stone.? 

  1. Electricity – anything that uses electricity poses a threat to anyone, and these can include your outlets and appliances. To prevent house fires caused by any electrical issues, have your house inspected by professional companies that offer this kind of services?

 

Signs That it’s Time to Replace Your Electrical Outlets

Electrical outlets are a potential source of fire accidents in any residential area. However, sometimes it is something that most people do not pay attention to. The average homeowner would not do any regular maintenance on their electrical outlets unless they notice signs of burning or problems. Moreover, they do not put a high priority on ensuring safety for their pets and children by doing safety precautions on their electrical wiring and outlets. Electrician Farmington Hills will provide you the expertise you need to ensure you have safe electrical wiring at home.  

Your electrical outlets are the very thing you rely on to power any devices and appliances in your house, so it is crucially important to recognize the signs of potential electrical outlet damage in your home. We give the list of the signs you need to observe below: 

  1. Your house is built prior to 1965 – if your house is built before this year, it is more likely that your house has a 2-prong outlet that is not grounded. This is because it was only on and after 1965 that the National Electric Code (NEC) required all houses to have 3-prong outlets that are safer and more secured than their precursor. 2-prong outlets were potential causes of shock, electrocution, appliance damage, or even serious fire accident. If you have this problem, consult an expert. It would know how to install safer outlets in your home. 
  1. The plug feels loose – if your plugs are always loose and they always fall out, it is a good sign that you need to fix your outlets as soon as possible. They can cause electric sparks that can start a fire if they hit with flammable materials. 
  1. The outlet has marks and if they immediately warm – the moment you notice the outlet is getting hot to the touch, the first thing you need to do is to turn off the circuit breaker, as it can cause a fire or electrical shock. Do not wait too long and contact a company service as soon as possible to fix the problem. 
  1. The outlet does not work anymore -of course, a clear indication that there is something wrong with your outlet is that it never works when you use it. You also need to check if it is not the appliance that has an issue by testing out the appliance on a different electrical outlet. 
  1. The outlet is broken, cracked, or missing – when the outlet has a damaged receptacle, this may cause electrical shock and fire in your house. Stops using the outlet once and for all, as the outlet is already very dangerous. 

Takeaway  

There are still many potential signs of electrical outlet damage you need to be aware of. Also, you need to understand that what we mentioned above are just the common signs of problems you need to be aware of. We cannot stress this enough: always contact a professional electrician to handle the issue and avoid fixing electrical stuff on your own.  

What Does Your Furnace’s Age Indicate?

It’s crucial to understand the age of your system to make the right judgments in dealing with any furnace problems that you may face. However, the mere age of your furnace doesn’t mean that replacement is the only option. If your system is already 20 years old and still functions properly, you probably own a superior model that stands the test of time. But you still need to consider some factors, such as the following: 

Check your furnace model 

If you currently have a long-lasting furnace that needs to be replaced now, take that opportunity to invest in the same model that has more updated features. A reliable, sturdy furnace model can be a major investment for your heating surface. But it is worth it knowing that you can use it for a long time. 

Regular maintenance 

Regardless of how old your furnace is, regular maintenance done by expert HVAC technicians is key in keeping it in its optimal condition. Moreover, doing this regularly has its advantages as you’ll know when you need to have your system replaced, your fan and ventilation systems will be checked, the air filters of your furnace will be cleaned regularly, and they will do the needed repair before they get serious. 

Indicators that your furnace is nearing its end 

The worst-case scenario is when you discover that your furnace actually needs to be replaced after it’s totally malfunctioned and shut down. Hence, the best route to take to maintain low expenses and keep your household members from being too cold as you wait for a replacement would be to pay close attention to the warning signs that your system has seen better days. A few of the most typical indicators that your furnace is nearing its end and should be replaced are: 

  • Frequent repairs 
  • Low air quality 
  • Uneven heating 
  • A huge increase in energy bills 

What to do if your furnace is in need of a replacement? 

If your furnace has undergone inspection,?furnace repair Sterling Heights, and reinspected, but still does not work the way it has to be, then you need to invest in a new one. To start with, you can consider having a model that’s proven itself to be long-lasting, and you can invest in a newer version of that similar model. Even though it certainly is a very high upfront investment, newer furnace versions have a lot of features and perks compared to their traditional counterparts. 

The latest furnace models feature an AFUE rating, which represents every model’s efficiency. This shows how much the heating furnace can produce compared to the number of lost during the combustion process. Basically, gas furnaces will have more than 80 percent AFUE rating, while other high-end units sustain a rating of approximately 98 percent. Keep in mind that the higher the furnace’s efficiency is, the lower the heating costs will be. 

When your think your furnace starts malfunctioning and you are unsure of what steps you should make next, then reach out to the professional HVAC technicians near you today. 

 

Things You Have to Do When Your Furnace Malfunctions

Listed below are some of the necessary steps you should keep in mind when your furnace starts to malfunction. If you think you can’t do it, then you might as well need to contact the HVAC experts and technicians ASAP. 

Funny noises 

Heating ducts can contract and expand as they cook down and heat up. Hence, there are several noises that must not be the main problem or a sign that you have to repair your furnace. But there are some noises that need to be attended to and can be remedied easily, such as: 

  • Squealing – These noises happen when the belt connecting the fan to the motor slips. This issue can be repaired by either replacing the worn-out belt or tightening the motor mount. In tightening the belt, you can do so by taking out the access panel, realigning or adjusting the distance of the belt, or loosening the bolts that keep the blower motor have the right tension. But before you make any adjustments to your furnace, make sure to read the instructions first.? 
  • Rattling – When your furnace cabinet starts to make a rattling sound whenever it’s turned on, that’s most likely because of the loose cover panels. See to it that they are all screwed on tight and nice. 

No heat 

When you’ve observed that the heat does not come on whenever you adjust the thermostat temperature, there are several things that could be occurring. Your pilot light might’ve gone out, or you could be encountering a tripped circuit breaker or a thermostat malfunction. Listed below are some of the tips you should do once the heat of your furnaces stops working: 

  • Check if the fuse has not blown and the circuit breaker is on. 
  • When the circuit is tripped or blown, turn it all the way off and back on to reset the breaker.? 
  • If needed, replace the fuse.? 

Furnace turns on and off 

This problem is most likely because of a problem with the thermostat. Your thermostats have a small lever, which serves as your heat anticipator. Once your furnace goes on and off too frequently, set your heat anticipator nearer to the “longer” setting. Even if you might not see the improvement of the heat for a few hours, you still need to wait for some time. If necessary, readjust it.? 

Uneven heating 

When your furnace gives extremely little heat while it’s running, you can take the following few steps to repair the problem: 

  • Confirm that nothing is obstructing the airflow. 
  • Ensure that you set the thermostat to “heat.” Try to raise the temperature up to 5° and wait for some time to check if it improves.? 
  • If it’s necessary to replace it, put in a new filter. 

An outdated filter is among the most typical issues that furnaces face. Because of that, make sure to have your filters changed regularly in order to prevent any buildup of dust, dirt, and other contaminants and to repair your furnace.? 

If you think you need?furnace repair Rochester Hills?services, contact the experts right away and have your unit checked.?