Steps To Put Out An Electrical Fire

What will you do if you see an electrical outlet burst into fire? It’s easy to panic when you witness this phenomenon, especially if you don’t know what to do. Before you make things worse, learn these steps on how to properly address an electrical fire incident.

What To Do In Case of an Electrical Fire

1. Do not panic.

The most common reason why an electrical fire becomes worse has something to do with heightened emotions. Most people go on panic mode when they see fire, most especially when it’s coming from an electrical appliance or power outlet.

This first step cannot be stressed enough: calm down.

2. Cut off power in the affected area.

As soon as you identify where the electrical fire is happening, look for a way to shut off the electrical power in that section. If it’s a small appliance on fire, unplug it from the outlet. If it’s a wire or receptacle, shut off the power at the panel.

3. Use baking soda as a first aid.

When you’ve isolated the fire and made sure that there’s no more power supply to the affected area, you may douse the fire with baking soda. This is effective when the fire is small and controllable, such as a burning toaster oven or power strip.

4. Never use water to put out the fire.

Even if you know that you’ve disconnected the burning electrical appliance from the source, do not attempt to put the fire out with water. Chances are, you may not have totally removed the electricity yet, and this may cause an electrical shock. Remember that tap water conducts electricity pretty well, and this would make things worse if you get electrocuted during the process.

5. Call emergency services or an electrician.

Regardless of what happens after the four steps above, don’t forget to call professionals who can address the issue permanently and suppress the fire totally. You may call us at Wire Craft Electric so that we can assess the situation right away.

If the fire hasn’t stopped yet, it’s always a good idea to call 911. In short, don’t be too confident and say that you’ve stopped the fire yourself.

Final Note

Always be on your toes when it comes to home safety, especially when we’re talking about electricity. By preparing for an emergency event such as an electrical fire, you can prevent further damage and be able to address the issue without batting an eyelash.

Again feel free to contact us just in case you need help and support.

If you find your furnace isn’t producing enough heat, or is just not even turning on at all, what do you do? You could call an electrician or a heating and air company, but fear not! There might be a quick fix available. Before doing anything, it’s best to check if the system even turns on. By turning your thermostat three-to-five degrees above your room temperature in the heat setting, you should hear it turn on within 10-30 seconds. If nothing happens, or you don’t feel much heat coming from the vent, it’s time to go down the list of potential causes.

8 Warning Signs of Electrical Wiring Problems

You might have signs of electrical wiring problems, and you don’t even know it.

Here are eight signs of electrical wiring problems, so you will know about them when the time comes.

Circuit breakers

Lots of modern homes are built with modern circuit breakers that have replaced having a fuel box. It’s very common for a circuit breaker to trip and to turn off a circuit automatically. If this happens, you will probably only have to put the switch back. If a circuit breaker trips often though, you might be overloading its safety capacity.

Dimming or flickering lights

This is a common problem in older homes, especially the homes that have modern appliances like microwave ovens and things like that. Sometimes a flickering lamp is the problem, and in this case, you should test the lighting fixture that’s in question in an outlet that’s different from its normal one.

Buzzing lamps

If your lamp buzzes when you turn it on, it’s probably just because of a bad wire. However, if you feel a slight shock or buzz when you turn it on, it could be the beginning of a serious electrical problem, and it would probably be a good idea to have it checked out by an electrician.

Hot outlets

Electrical outlets should never be hot to the touch, so if they are, that could be the beginning of a serious electrical problem and you should probably get it checked out.

Ground fault circuit interrupters

These are required by code and they should be tested regularly. If one of yours isn’t working properly, it could be a sign of faulty wiring in your home.

Faulty cable splices

These could be a sign of bad wiring, and you should get it checked out.

Aluminum wiring

This is only typical for older homes, but there is a chance it could still be an issue for you if you have bought an older home.

The odor of burning

If you smell burning plastic of vinyl, then that is definitely the sign that you have faulty wiring in your home and you need to get it fixed right away.

For questions or concerns about warning signs or other electrical needs, please don’t hesitate to contact us here. We’re standing by!

Electrical problems are really common, no matter where you live. There are some problems that are more common than others.

Problems with light bulbs and fixtures

Light bulbs can flicker and blink, which means that there is a poor connection somewhere along the circuit line. If the blink happens through a lot of the home, then there might be a bad connection in a main wire. Don’t worry, if you need someone to tell you if this is the case, we’re glad to help – just reach out.

Back to bulbs. Some lights get extra bright, while others run really dim. Bulbs might even be popping, which means that an electrical appliance could have died recently and maybe you don’t know about it. This is a condition that will continue to have negative effects in your home, so it’s best to get this checked out right away. Again, we’re happy to help and address issues like this all the time.

If a recessed light goes off sometimes, and it later works again, then this probably means that the wrong style or wattage of bulbs is being used, and that ceiling-space insulation is too close around the light.

Dead outlet problems

If a set of lights simply just went dead, then you probably have a very poor connection along a circuit. This is only a minor problem.

If half an outlet works and the other half doesn’t, then this probably means that one half might be energized by a wall switch. The other common cause of this is that that usage of this plug over time has loosened the hold that one half has on the cords you plug into it.

Tripping-breaker problems

When the microwave or hair dryer is on, then these high-wattage items are too much for the circuit. You might have to put these kinds of products on lower wattages in order to keep using them.

Home Electrical Problems with switches

If a wall switch gets really warm, this might be normal. It’s normal for them when running  600 watts worth of bulbs or less.

If a switch doesn’t seem to control anything at all, then you might have to replace some of the receptacles. They might have been disabled by how they were replaced at one time. This applies mainly to bedrooms and living rooms, though.

Say goodbye to home electrical problems. We hope this was helpful. Keep this saved so you can refer back to it when necessary. We’re also ready to answer specific questions if you still need something addressed, so contact us and let’s get started.