How To Deal With Your Home Safety

By Author: Tom Buchanan
Total Articles: 36
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Safety is just as important as having a home. With the changing technology, the need for safety increases, too. Here are some ways you can cope up with the ever-increasing urgency to safeguard your household.

1. Smoke Detectors
In Alberta alone, at least $150 million is wasted in fires, with approximately $20 million from electrical failure. Protect your home by installing smoke detectors on each level of your home near sleeping areas. For units with replaceable batteries, install new batteries at least once a year while testing religiously each month for reliability. Have a Calgary electrician install a new unit after 8-10 years. If you don't see any manufacturing date indicated on your detectors, it's a sign they're too old to protect your home.

2. CO Monitors
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a clear and unscented substance formed as a by-product of our electric appliances and other heat sources and is considered to be a "silent killer" across Canada and North America. Installing CO detectors at home is an imperative home safety measure in protecting ...
... your household. Similar to smoke detectors, Calgary electricians recommend placing one sensor to each level of your home, preferably near and within each bedroom for added protection. Replace old CO monitors every five years.

3. Circuit Boards
Older electrician panels are insufficient for the lineup of gadgets and appliances in use in the typical home today and might be readily susceptible to overcurrents. Inappropriate wiring from DIYers and usage of outsized breakers are considered substandard and no longer safe for use and could entail fires or electric shock. Have a residential electrician update your circuit boards for more guarded and energy-efficient system.

4. Backup Generators
While some people do not directly consider having backup generators as a safety measure, they do protect our households from unexpected power outages due to adverse weather or accidents. They keep necessary appliances in operation, ensuring the safety and comfort of your family in the event of a snowstorm, heat wave, and more. Additionally, they protect the contents of your refrigerator and keep your kitchen up and running. Consider purchasing a standby model, which starts automatically and has the capability to power your entire home or less expensive portable generators for powering a few select appliances.

5. Code and Wiring Updates
Wiring regulations across Canada are regularly updated every three years to ensure electrical safety, which signifies that your home electrical system may also need updating once every few years to avoid risks.

You can hire an expert electrician to make the necessary upgrades to your home, especially when:

(a) You still have ungrounded two-prong receptacles at home, but have newer appliances that require grounding hence the third prong;

(b) Your house has outdated and exposed cables and wires that frequently cause tripping;

(c) You don't know what a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) is and don't have one at home, especially in your bathroom and other places that can be exposed to moisture;

(d) You have more extension cords than your system would allow.