Can you imagine life without electricity? Difficult to picture out? For many years, electricity has been a vital part of our lives. It provides comfort and convenience to our daily living. Without it, we can’t use the appliances and gadgets we have today. Electricity is certainly a great innovation, but misusing it could lead to death and substantial damage to property. This article will shed light on the common electrical installation violations as seen first hand by Victoria BC Electricians.
Overcrowded Electrical Boxes – overcrowded electrical boxes can lead to an electrical fire. Too many wires in a box can result in overheating and thus poses a real danger.
Fixtures Without Electrical Boxes – when installing a light with no electrical boxes, nothing can help contain dangerous sparks or heat. This is a fire risk. Fixtures should be disconnected, and electrical boxes must be installed and reconnected to prevent an electrical fire.
Unprotected Electrical Wires – wires that are not protected properly along a wall can be dangerous. Wrapping a lot of wires together and securing them to a wall is not enough. Junction boxes must not be easily accessible to prevent being touched by accident.
Incorrect Wiring at Circuit Breaker – using inappropriate size for a circuit breaker can lead to overheating and electrical fire before it has the chance to trip. And if the wires are too big, they can sometimes hazardously cut to fit which can also cause some problems.
Extension Cords as Permanent Wiring – extension cords must not be permanent. For example, if you have a garage door opener, then it is important to have an outlet for it instead of using an extension cord. For electrical appliances such as microwaves and air conditioners, plugging them into an outlet is a must.
Lacking Outlet Covers – outlet covers are designed to lessen the chances of electrical shock. Often when you repaint your house or house improvement is done, these plates are removed. Ensure that they are put back properly to ensure everyone’s safety.
Reversing Hot and Neutral Wires – a good approach in detecting a hot or neutral wire is to know the color of the wires. Black is for hot wires while white is for neutral wires. The hot wire goes into the brass connection, and the white wire goes into the silver connection. Mixing these two is known as reversed polarity and be a source of the electrical fire.
Thanks to Jaycox Industries for shedding some light on these common code violations.