Wall Outlet Safety Tips

Electricity is an extremely common part of our daily lives, and with so many devices running on it, it’s easy to forget just how powerful of a force it can really be. There are a lot of risks associated with electricity, including sparks, fire, and even electrocution if you’re not careful when using a wall socket or other form of an electrical outlet. Active plugs carry voltage high enough to cause serious injury or even death, so you need to treat them with respect and caution. Here are a few safety tips you should follow.

Be Careful with Kids

Kids are curious by nature, and small holes in the wall are just begging for curious minds to try to stick something in and receive a shocking surprise. This means you need to kid-proof any unused outlets until your children are old enough to understand just how dangerous they can be. Use plastic plug covers or surge strips that have security sliders on them to make sure no unused plugs are exposed.

Don’t Put Other Things in Sockets

Sockets are designed for one thing: plugs. That means you shouldn’t stick anything else in there. Even if a plug seems dirty or something seemingly gets jammed into it, you should never stick anything else in to clean it out or pull out the jammed object. If you do need to service an outlet, always shut off the power at the main breaker panel before working on it (test the plug by using a lamp or other device that’s on the same circuit).

Use GFCI Outlets

Ground fault circuit interrupter outlets are an essential technology for electrical outlets in high-risk areas, like pool areas, restrooms, garages, and other outdoor areas. Anywhere water or moisture could get into a plug, you need to have one of these plugs installed. GFCI sockets are designed to trip and deactivate when they sense a short, which could save you a potential electrical overload, sparking, and even a fire.

Cover Outdoor Plugs

Do you have any outdoor plugs? They need to be covered. Make sure any covers you use are rated for outdoor usage and have the proper gaskets and seals necessary to make sure water can’t intrude and possibly get into the plug, causing it to short circuit, which could lead to spark and fire if you don’t have a GFCI circuit installed.