13 Basic Safety Tips for Residential Electrical Wiring

Doing your own residential electrical wiring may be possible if you have knowledge and background of electrical wiring basics. In some jurisdictions, it may be illegal to do your own residential electrical wiring. The best thing to do is contact a licensed electrician to the electrical work for you. Most homeowners’ insurance policies are considered void when incorrectly performed electrical work results to damage to property, fire, injury or death to other people.

If indeed you are able to do the wiring yourself, here are some safety tips.

1. Be sure that power is turned off from the main source when doing residential electrical wiring. You may be re-wiring the entire house or simply replacing a faulty outlet but whatever you do, turn off the power to prevent accidents. You can use a neon tester to be sure that power is already blocked.
2. Always look for the seal of approval when buying electrical equipment of appliances. The seal should not only apply to the plug or cord but to the whole appliance as well.
3. Electrical cords or wires should never be in contact with heated radiators, pipes and other metal objects.
4. Exposed wires and overhead power lines should be avoided by all means.
5. Check for worn or frayed appliance and extension cords. Do not attempt to patch a broken cord, replaced it with something new immediately.
6. Lamp cords are made to carry small amount of electrical load. Do not attempt to plug heavy appliances and power tools into a lamp socket.
7. Pull a plug from the wall outlet by grasping the plug itself, not by pulling the cord.
8. Follow instructions carefully when installing CB antennas and towers. Antennas that are not properly installed may topple causing power outage, injuries and death.
9. Irons and other heating appliances should be plugged out when no one is present inside the house or when not in use.
10. When flying kites, do not use wires, wets strings or metals. Fly your kite in an open field. If the kite catches a wire, call your local electric utility instead of removing it yourself.
11. Ensure that all your appliances and electrical tools are properly grounded. An adapter should be used in a 3-prong plug in a 2-wire receptacle. Do not attempt to use an appliance with a 2-wire connection in a damp location or outdoors.
12. Do not touch electrical items when your hands are damp. Water conducts electricity and no tool or appliance should be handled with wet hands or with water.
13. Avoid overloading your appliances. Each appliance is designed to hold a certain amount of electricity. Overloading will result to overheating which eventually destroys insulation. Turn off an appliance immediately when you notice sparks, smoke or too much heat. To avoid overheating, use heavy duty extension cords instead.