Electrical Safety tips for around the home Electricity is a great servant and a silent invisible killer. In fact we use it for so many activities we take it for granted .

Here are some great tips on simple things you can do to help keep you and your family safe. Replace defective/ broken fixtures and fittings .

If you see broken cracked switches or sockets or light fittings you should stop using them and have them replaced immediately One of the most important pieces in our electrical installation is our consumer unit or fuse box ! If you have a really old consumer unit it will likely be made of wood and Bakelite and have rewire-able fuses.

More modern boards were made of plastic and have miniture circuit breakers that can be reset. However nowadays all circuits have Redidual currrent device protection on all circuits .

This cuts the power in the event of a fault leaking a dangerous amount of current to earth. If your consumer unit is rather old its good advice to have your installation completely checked and reported you will need a EICR Common sense is very important .

If you have a lack of plug sockets adapters and multi plug extensions can cause overload and often fires.

DO NOT OVERLOAD THESE The use of extension leads to run appliances if you use a extension lead always make sure its completely uncoiled to avoid heat build up If you are using power in the garden make sure you are protected by a residual current device .

Do not cover electrical heaters this is another common cause of fires in the home .

Do not carry out DIY electrics to your home always use a qualified electrician Always ensure you have working smoke alarms protecting your property You should have your electrical installation checked every 5 years by a qualified electrician We can also check and test all of your portable appliances .