Keep Your Home Safe
September 10, 2021
Warm or discolored wall plates can mean that a home has an overloaded electrical circuit – which could cause a fire. Some other warning signs of an overloaded circuit include:
- Flickering, blinking or dimming lights
- Frequently tripped circuit breakers or blown fuses
- Cracking, sizzling or buzzing from receptacles
- Burning odor coming from receptacles or wall switches
- Mild shock or tingle from appliances, receptacles or switches
Take the following steps to help prevent electrical overloads:
- Never use extension cords or multi-outlet converters for appliances.
- All major appliances should be plugged directly into a wall receptacle outlet. Only plug one heat producing appliance into a receptacle outlet at a time.
- A heavy reliance on extension cords is an indication that you have too few outlets to address your needs. Have a qualified electrician inspect your home and add new outlets.
- Be aware that power strips only add additional outlets; they do not change the amount of power being received from the outlet
The Electrical Safety Foundation International provides more information* on how to identify and prevent an overloaded electric system.
*By clicking the link in this article, you are entering a website maintained by an outside party, which is entirely responsible for the site’s content.