Electrical
fire is now the most common cause of house fire in the UK.
Traditionally when people think of a house fire they believe the
cause to be something controllable such as a candle, unattended
cigarette or cooking fire.
The
alarming thing about electrical fire is that there is very little
control over them. Many electrical fires begin by the householder
not even being aware of an electrical problem in the first place. A
common cause of electrical fire is by overloading sockets.
Are
you overloading your sockets?
As electricians in South East London we regularly see extension lead
and plug overload in peoples homes. In older homes, extension lead
use is very common as there is often simply not enough sockets in the
home to cope with the number of electrical items in use.
Extension lead use can be safe but it can also be extremely dangerous
if the extension lead becomes electrically overloaded. Unfortunately
many householders are not aware about extension lead overload, let
alone to know if their extension leads are actually electrically
dangerous.
One of the most dangerous rooms in the home for overloading sockets
in the kitchen. This because high powered appliances such as washing
machines, kettles and even toasters can overload an extension lead
and cause an electrical fire.
What
do you use if you need additional plug sockets in your home?
The safest option is to have a qualified and registered electrician
to install additional sockets in the areas of your home where more
sockets are needed. However extension leads can also be a low cost
option so long as you do not become dependant on them in your home.
The type of extension lead you use in your home matters. It could be
the difference between an electrical fire starting or not.
Firstly multi plug adapters should never
be used anywhere in your home. These are similar to a large plug but
contain several plug sockets. Plug adapters have been known to cause
damage to the actual plug socket itself due to the weight and also
have the added risk of overheating and starting a fire inside the
wall.
The extension lead you should be
using is otherwise known as a 4 way bar adapter which contain a line
of sockets with a lead that plugs into a wall socket. Some extension
leads come in a reel allowing you to pull out the length of cable you
need. As electrical contractors in South London we do not recommend
using these as the cable could overheat easily. The number of
sockets available on an extension lead can vary but here at Fulcher Edwards, we recommend no more than 4 sockets on an extension lead to
avoid the very real risk of overload.
Never buy an extension lead without
first checking the current rating of the extension lead. You need to
ensure that the extension lead is 13A. Less than this and it will
become overloaded as soon as you plug anything into it! Some
extension leads we have seen in well known supermarkets have had
current ratings of 10A or less. The current rating is marked clearly
of the extension lead back or side.
Best
uses for extension leads
Extension leads are best used for
low voltage electrical items in your home – items such as
televisions, games consoles, sky boxes, portable telephones, laptops
and chargers. For this reason they are best suited for living rooms,
home offices or bedrooms. Ideally households should not be reliant
on extension leads. If you are using several in one room – or
even using them in every room, you need to be seriously considering
additional sockets.
Worst
uses for extension leads
Extension leads should not be used
in kitchens. Even small appliances such as a kettle and toaster
plugged into an extension lead would overload it. Large appliances
such as washing machines and tumble dryers should have their own
individual socket and should never be plugged into an extension lead.
Find
out if your electrical items are causing extension lead overload
The electrical safety charity
Electrical Safety First has an excellent tool which allows you to
check if your sockets are overloaded. Its a quick and easy way to
find out if you are using extension leads safely in your home.
Never take a risk with extension
leads and if you suspect a problem with them, stop using and unplug
immediately.
Extension leads can be convenient
but used incorrectly could have devastating consequences.
