How to avoid electrical problems at home in 5 minutes

Sunstone Electrical experts give you tips and advice to check your electrical installation for possible problems, thus avoiding the risk of short circuits or fires in your home.

Keeping your electrical installation in good condition is crucial to avoid serious risks of short circuit, sparks, consequent fires ... therefore, do not hesitate to have the help of a professional electrician who will check your installation a minimum of once every 5 years, to detect points weak and assist you repair them. But in addition to this, there are several things you can do in your day to day to escape the most common accidents and problems when it comes to the use of domestic electricity. Take a walk through your home with us and check the following points ...

Good electrical materials: cheap is expensive

First, buy quality plugs, power strips and other components, with control and protection systems against voltage spikes and sudden cuts. You will not only protect your home from scares, but also all your appliances. Think of your computer, your television, your refrigerator ... do you want an electrical surge to strike them immediately? Neither do we, listen to us.

Plugs: nothing to saturate them

Now that you are equipped with good thieves, do not dedicate yourself to stuffing them with all nearby cables and chargers. This will produce dangerous overheating, will raise the danger of short - circuiting and damage both the installation and proper appliances connected. In addition, each connected charger, each device on standby, steals money from your electricity bill every day. They are the energetic vampires that we warn you so much about: don't let them suck your energy out!

Special treatment with large appliances

As a general rule, every appliance placed in the kitchen must have an individual 16-amp socket for each one and a 2.5mm line with its corresponding earth connection. The glass ceramic is an exception, since due to its power it must have a 25-amp socket and a 6mm line also with its own earth connection. If you have doubts when it comes to making sure that your installations are correct, go to a professional.

What if my electrical installation is old?

Older homes are at a higher risk of electrical accidents. If the installation is old, sooner or later we will have a short circuit in some part of our installation, which could cause a fire by overloading the lines. For this reason, you must take into account 2 essential guidelines in the installation:

1. It has a good electrical panel, with differentials and magnetothermics ("automatic") for the different electrical circuits of the house (lighting, plugs, washing machine, dishwasher, hob and refrigerator). The more individualized circuits we have, the safer it will be and the better our installation will work.
2. Know the power contracted with your electricity company, and be consistent when connecting your electrical appliances. This, in addition, will save you to save. In short: be cautious, invest in good materials, and know well your installation and the power it can withstand.

Treat each appliance with care and offer it a quality power point with full safety. If you heed these tips and check your installation periodically, you will infinitely reduce the risks of suffering any unwanted electrical accident.

To avoid accidents related to electricity that can lead to fires in the home, we can follow a series of basic recommendations, such as these provided by Sunstone Electrical.

On the one hand, it is about using electrical appliances correctly:

• Remember to unplug all electrical appliances such as hair dryers, razors, or curling irons after using them.
• Keep the electric heaters away from curtains and furniture. Never use them to dry clothes.
• Never run cables under carpets or rugs, as they can deteriorate.
• Removes dust from the dryer whenever the use, and try not to cover either the fan or other air inlet. Make sure the vent tube is clear of obstacles and is not pinched anywhere.
• Never put materials that have been used to clean flammable liquid into the dryer.
• Faced with adverse meteorological phenomena (storms, heavy snowfalls, gusts of strong wind ...), try to disconnect all kinds of devices more sensitive to electrical failures.

In addition, we must ensure that the installation meets the minimum requirements for a correct connection:

• At least the kitchen and bathroom must be grounded.
• In general, and in these areas in particular, the plugs should be located more than one meter from the taps and water connections of washing machines or dishwashers, as well as from the shower or bathtub.
• If you need electricity in these areas, install safety outlets protected by differentials, which will allow you to isolate the installation and protect it in case of incidents in these sections.
• Avoid placing multiple sockets to connect electrical appliances at the same point, as it can overload the circuit and cause overheating that can lead to a breakdown.
• Do not manipulate the electrical network with wet ground.
• To control rises and falls of electrical energy input uses a differential.
• Do not install cables without an approved connection plugs.
• Check the age of the wiring system and check the installations at least every ten years, and whenever you move to another home.

And remember, you can always rely on Sunstone Electrical experts to check your electrical installation. Contact our friendly and reliable electricians today!