Extension leads; be safe in your home

One appliance, one socket is best practice in your home and should be followed wherever possible, many of us are guilty of overloading sockets with block extensions and extension leads when they were only ever designed for temporary use.

For most, the use of extension leads as a permanent feature is considered the norm and often means that safety isn’t considered like it should be. Overloaded and twisted extension leads can overheat, blow fuses and cause damage through fire if not managed correctly.

If you find that you only have one or two plug sockets per room, this is a good indication of dated wiring in your house and should be addressed, firstly to check the condition of the wiring as its most likely to have been in place for over two decades, and secondly to fit extra sockets that reduce the risk of electrical fires.

A typical fuse is 13 amps, this means two appliances connected at 10 amps each will put strain on the extension lead; the fuse can blow and the plug can start to melt, which then leads to fire.

Always ensure your extension leads are fully extended to avoid overheating, when this hasn’t been done the coil of cable can heat up quickly and is one of the biggest causes of electrical fires.

The best solution is to fit extra sockets in your home instead of using several extension leads to plug in all of your electrical products. This happens in domestic settings most frequently in living rooms where TV’s and other electrical appliances are connected, but there aren’t enough sockets available. In commercial environments, this often occurs in small businesses who use several adapters to accommodate computers, monitors and other electrical products. A small investment to fit extra sockets in your home or office is well worth it to avoid risks that you may not be able to recognise if you’re not suitably qualified.

Assess the sockets available in your home and give us a call if you would like to upgrade your wiring.