Electrical outages can be a considerable inconvenience for different reasons–there are the obvious ones (no power to your home, no lights, no internet access) and there are also more subtle things as a consequence (your refrigerator stops running, your food goes wrong, or you have to manually pump gas instead of just pulling up to an automated pump at the gas station). Then, there’s the worst-case scenario–fires and explosions from downed power lines or electrical transformers.
The last one is hazardous because it puts lives in danger and may damage your property due to explosions. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent electrical catastrophes.
How To Prevent Buildings From Electrical Damage
Electrical fires can happen anywhere at any time. Buildings are no exception; they, too, need protection from potentially deadly and costly disasters, like electric fires. To protect buildings against these events, specific preventive measures should be put in place, such as:
- Ensure That The Wirings Are Organized
A lot of electrical fires start because the wiring in a building isn’t well-organized. When wirings are exposed, their insulation can peel off. This situation can result in short circuits. Short circuits may cause the wirings to spark, resulting in an electrical fire.
One way to prevent short circuits is by using terminal blocks that are din rail mounted to keep the wirings isolated and secure. Terminal blocks, also known as terminal connectors, are commonly made of plastic frames. It has conducting strip and clamping component to easily connect wires.
Din rails make it easy to install terminal blocks because they can be mounted on the side of walls and ceilings. When terminal blocks are installed, it can ensure that all wires are connected properly.
- Install Circuit Protection Equipment
Installing circuit protection equipment can significantly reduce the risk of fire damage. When too much current flows in a circuit, electrical wires might overheat and start a fire. Circuit protection equipment, like circuit breakers, automatically switches the power off when this happens.
Fuses heat up when too much current flows through them. Once it melts, it cuts the connection from the main source. On the other hand, breakers have a meltable alloy that bends when heated. When the alloy bends, the circuit loses contact with the main source and returns to its position when the alloy cools down. Unlike breakers, fuses are disposable after it melts.
- Install Surge Protectors
To prevent power surges from harming your building, install surge protectors in all electrical outlets. While circuit protection equipment protects the circuit from excessive current, these protectors safeguard equipment from voltage spikes.
- Replace Old Electrical Systems With New Ones
When it comes to protecting buildings from electrical catastrophes, replacing outdated electrical systems is one of the best things to do. Old wirings are common in commercial buildings as some landlords often neglect to have them updated.
The problem with an older electric system is that the wiring is commonly unprotected because there isn’t a ground wire with the old model outlets. Additionally, old wires often lose their insulation in time, which may cause fire or electrocution. That’s why governments are continuously working on legislating new standards to protect buildings and tenants from electrical catastrophes. Electrical safety forums are also providing key recommendations for local authorities to have greater power over the implementation of required electrical installation.
- Don’t Overload Circuits
Don’t overload circuits by plugging too many devices or equipment into one outlet at once. When too much load is in one circuit, it’ll drag more current from the source to power all of the load.
However, if the wirings aren’t designed to handle the increased current, then they might overheat, leading to a fire. Even if you have circuit protection equipment, avoid doing this practice as you never know when your circuit breakers will fail. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
- Make Sure You Have A Properly Grounded Outlet For All Devices
Devices can be faulty at times, which can cause fire and electrocution when they’re plugged in an outlet that isn’t properly grounded. The energy coming out of your outlets is a positively charge energy, and its nature is to always meet with negatively charge energy (the ground has a negatively charge energy). This means that when you accidentally touch a faulty device, you’ll be the passage for the positively charge energy to meet the negative charge ground. This is how electrocution happens.
But it can be prevented by providing an alternative passage for excess positively charge energy to meet the ground. That’s why a properly grounded outlet is vital in any building. Grounded outlets have an excess wire connected to the ground to attract excess positive charge if a device malfunctions.
- Ensure The Right Type Of Wire For Each Device
If you think that any type or size of wire will work with your home, be warned. Wires have different sizes, and it’s important to use the appropriate size for each device.
If the wire is too thin, it could overheat and possibly spark if used in a big device. This scenario happens because it has high resistance. Remember that the thinner the wire, the higher the resistance. Thus, it would be best if you used thick wires for big devices as they’ll need high electrical energy.
- Have A Regular Power Check By A Licensed Electrician
One of the essential practices that can be done to protect buildings from electrical catastrophes, which are often neglected, is having a regular power check. This step is often overlooked because homes and offices have their own safety checks. Still, these may not include testing for all relevant factors, such as wiring issues or external electricity sources.
Regular checking by a licensed electrician can help identify problems before they happen. Remember that you can avoid many disasters if you know what to look for and the steps you need to take.
Final Words
The best way to avoid electrical shock and fire is by installing circuit protection equipment, making sure your building wiring is organized, and not overloading circuits with too many devices running off of it. Also, make sure you have a properly grounded outlet for all equipment.
If any of these safety measures seem like they’re out of reach or outside the scope of what you can do on your own, consider hiring an electrician to perform regular power checks. Doing so ensures that everything’s up-to-date from an electricity standpoint.