Repair Safety
By on Jul 24, 2008
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When doing home repairs or renovations, hire a professional electrician to make any improvements or additions to the electrical system. Even tasks that appear simple, such as the installation of a baseboard heater or additional electrical outlets, can be more difficult than they appear.
If you are constantly blowing fuses or popping circuit breakers, it is time for you to contact your electrician. These are signs of electrical problems that could cause a fire. Do not take risks by attempting to do this home repair project yourself.
During your renovations and home repairs, remember that you can avoid risks by following the following safety tips offered by Hydro-Québec:
- Does your home repair or renovation involve hammering nails or cutting an opening in a wall? Shut down the electric circuits that serve the room where you are working.
- Before repairing an electric device, disconnect it!
- The circuits of your power distribution panel should be clearly marked to show the rooms and items serviced by each circuit.
- Are you doing home repairs or renovations in rooms containing water ? like the kitchen or bathroom? Because water is an excellent conductor of electricity, you should take the required precautions such as ensuring that all surfaces are clean and dry, that your feet are dry, that you connect your electric tool to an outlet equipped with a differential circuit breaker and ensure that electric cords and extension cords do not make contact with any pool of water.
- Do you need to replace a fuse? Before replacing a blown fuse, be sure that you have a replacement fuse of the same rating, place the master switch in the OFF position, and, before restoring current, reduce the load by disconnecting a few electrical devices. If a circuit breaker pops, this same technique must be used, and the short circuit must be found before continuing with this home repair project.
Article courtesy of www.newscanada.com
