How old is your home? Has it ever been rewired? If your home is more than 30 or 40 years old, it’s definitely time to consider an upgrade. Old wiring is a leading cause of electrical fires, which result in hundreds of deaths, thousands of injuries, and billions of dollars in damage every year.
Another leading cause of electrical fires is arc faults, which occur when electrical current strays from its intended path, often through a breach in wiring. An arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) is standard (and required) with all modern circuits covering most general living areas in new homes. Therefore, they are extremely important in older houses, which can have degraded connections. It’s also fairly inexpensive to retrofit every circuit in most older homes—about $30-$50 per breaker. Isn’t the avoidance of potential tragedy worth a few hundred bucks?
Electrical fire risk also comes in the form of counterfeit electrical products. You’ll see a lot of these being advertised on eBay or other websites as power adapters equivalent to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) specifications. In many cases, this is sadly not true. As with most items, you get what you pay for, and in the case of counterfeit electrical products, you’re paying for probable disaster. Not all low-priced electrical products or adapters are made of low-quality materials, but it’s best to ensure that they have an official Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or other reputable laboratory’s label on them.
Stay tuned right here for more tips on avoiding electrical fires and hazards. In the meantime, be sure not to overload your circuits and do use UL-approved electronic devices and adapters.
