Fires are a reasonably common occurrence in the residential sectors of the US. They happen almost every day, and most homeowners feel like they don’t know how to prevent them from happening. It costs the country about $7 billion in damages every year.
Fires occur in homes for many reasons, many of which can easily be avoided if you know them enough. Here are some common fire hazards that exist in people’s homes and how you can prevent them.
Electrical Wiring
Faulty electrical wiring is one of the leading causes of residential fires. A single spark and a bit of dust can easily ignite and turn into a full-blown fire. But it is one of the most avoidable fire hazards as long as you know what you are doing.
So here are some simple tricks to avoid fire from faulty electrical wiring.
Unplugging Unused Appliances
Plugged unused appliances can be seen in many homes. Unfortunately, this can easily lead to fires, especially if you have faulty wiring in your home. The main reason unused appliances can lead to fires is that plugged devices still generate small amounts of electricity. This is enough to create a spark in any faulty wiring, which can ignite all sorts of materials in your home.
It can be hard to keep track of which appliances are plugged in your home. If this is the case for you, it’s good to have an Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVRs). AVRs can control any plugged appliances so that electrical currents are minimal and regulated in moments that you don’t use them. It also automatically turns off any devices if it detects some faults in your wiring so that you can avoid house fires.
Getting Your Home Inspected
Home inspections are a sure way to identify any faulty wiring in your home. In addition, it’s a proactive way to keep your home safe from future fires. Home inspections happen every couple of years in residential neighborhoods.
However, it’s much better if you hire someone to do it for your home. These home inspectors can have a good look at your home and see which wiring can lead to disaster in the future. They will also give you suggestions on avoiding faulty electrical wiring and what you should if you encounter one.
Cleaning Dusty Air Vents
Dust isn’t a serious fire hazard when found in small amounts. However, it is when they start accumulating that they become a fire hazard in people’s homes. Unfortunately, one of the areas that dust tends to collect that people rarely check is air vents.
Air vents are essential to every home. However, they tend to be a severe oversight when planning home constructions. This can lead to clouds of dust accumulating in your vents in a matter of months. In addition, vents that are clogged by dust can be a severe fire hazard during the summer and the winter when scorching air comes into your vents. This may come from the hot climate outside or your heater. Regardless of the source, hot air can ignite dust particles which can eventually lead to a fire.
You can prevent this from happening in simple ways. One practical way is to get cleaning services for air ducts. This service will help you unclog your air vents from dust accumulation. It can also get rid of pests that made your vents their home.
Another way is to clean the ducts yourself. To do this, you’re going to need an air compressor. You’re going to use it to blow the dust away from your vent and into the trash. You must do these things twice a month, once before the summer and another during the winter. This will keep your vent safe from fires.
Replacing Old Appliances
Many Americans still use old appliances in their homes. Getting these appliances should be on top of your priority if you want to avoid house fires. Devices that are considered to be more than five years old are considered ancient and must be replaced. This is because old appliances can have problems with their wiring and electrical consumption as years pass by, and these malfunctions can lead to fires if left unattended.
Microwaves and other electrical cooking ware are the most vulnerable and should be replaced immediately once they’ve reached the five-year mark. Other appliances such as computers and smart TVs can be left for much longer but still needs to be replaced in the future.
Controlling Pests
The last fire hazard on this list is pests. Pests come in all forms, especially in the US, but all of them can lead to fires. Rats are known to create nests that come from all sorts of materials found in your home. All of which are vulnerable to fire. Some birds on your roof might do the same thing. Rats can also accidentally nibble on electrical wiring, which can then lead to a serious fire. Multiple carcasses of dead insects such as cockroaches are also vulnerable to fire. Some ants are also known to nibble on wiring.
If these pests continue to live and die in your home, you can have a severe fire hazard on your hands. Hire an exterminator the moment you see traces of these pests living in your home.
Fire hazards can be avoidable if you only know where to look. Now you know some of them, make sure to do your best the necessary measures to protect your home from these hazards. Remember that by saving your home, you are also keeping your neighborhood safe.
