Appliance Safety Tips

The appliances inside of a house make your life easier, but when you use them unsafely, they might pose noticeable health risks. You should protect your appliances and be sure they do not turn into dangers by adhering to these household appliance safety recommendations from Carter’s Appliance Repair.

The tips below will help to prevent fires and injuries from broken home appliances. That being said, hazards might still happen. If a home appliance breaks or starts to malfunction and becomes a danger, call a professional appliance repair Pennsylvania.

GFCI Outlets in Wet Locations in a Home

Laundry rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, basements, mud rooms, garages and outdoor areas are susceptible to wetness or water. Of course, electricity and water don’t go together, that means power cords should always be plugged into GFCI outlets.

This can prevent electrocution by tripping the circuit if any interruptions in power are detected.

If you do not have GFCI outlets in wet areas around your house, now is the time to install them or call an electrician in Pennsylvania. Once that is done, for additional safety, heed the warnings of certain appliance manuals that indicate they are not for outdoor areas.

Electrical Cords, Electronics & Outlets Far Away From Damp Areas

A lot of home appliances are specifically built for outdoor areas, like barbecue grills. If you have any electrical appliances outside – including dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers and ice makers, power tools and more – monitor that all of the cords and outlets are dry. Weatherproof electronics will help with this, as do GFCI outlets with gaskets that are water-tight.

Extension Cords are Only a Momentary Answer

Extension cords can pose a lot of evident risks, this includes:

• The potential for loose connections that might cause sparks and start a fire.
• The possibility of power inconsistencies that can break the appliance.
• Greater vulnerability to water penetration that may lead to electrocution.
• The chance of cords overheating and becoming a fire hazard when an low-quality extension cord is used for a high-power appliance.

When choosing an extension cord for temporary use, make sure it is the correct gauge for the electrical equipment in question. The smaller the gauge, the bigger the size for the wire. For example, a basic extension cord for a radio might have a 16-gauge cord where a bigger cord for a air conditioner unit uses a 12-gauge wire.

The length is also important. The longer the extension cord is, the more electricity is gone enroute, also called voltage drop. Shorter cords are recommended for power tools and equipment.

Always Read the Manual for Any Appliance You Buy

It’s obvious to assume that you know how to use your brand new dishwasher or washing machine without consulting the manual, but reading the guidelines is necessary for several reasons:

You will want to find out if your home’s wiring is sufficient to support the new appliance. You might have to install a new circuit to prevent overloading your existing ones.

You learn more about advanced features you might not otherwise known.
You understand if the new appliance is OK for outdoor locations or not.

You don’t have the frustration that can sometimes come from attempting to run a appliance without instructions!

Unplug Small Appliances in Your Home When Not Being Used

You can prevent unnecessary energy use by unplugging appliances when not in use. This is because small appliances often include LED indicators, clocks and other energy-consuming features standby times.

Unplug TVs, monitors, routers, game consoles, smart phone chargers and more to cut back on unnecessary energy usage. Just remember, it’s worthwhile to keep DVRs and similar electronics plugged in to prevent missing out on their automatic background functions.

For extra tips on how to use appliances safely, or to call a local appliance repair service, please contact Carter’s Appliance Repair. We can fix all common household appliances!

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