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ELECTRIC NOTES
19 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOME SAFER
1. If you have small children or pets, make sure unused wall outlets have safety coverings. Unprotected wall outlets can be a hazard.
2. Check that outlets and wall switches are cool to the touch. Unusual warmth may indicate an unsafe wiring connection and should be checked by an electrician.
3. Make sure all outlets and switches are working properly. Faulty equipment may mean unsafe wiring.
4. All outlets and switches should have faceplates. Exposed wiring is a shock hazard.
5. Check that extension cords are correctly rated for the amount of electricity they are to carry and are Underwriters Laboratories (UL) approved.
6. Screw lightbulbs in securely. Loose bulbs may cause a fire.
7. Check all electric cords for visible damage. Cracked or frayed cords can be dangerous.
8. To avoid excessive wear and cord damage, ensure that cords don't run under rugs and don't have furniture resting on them.
9. Do not nail or staple electric cords in place. Cord damage can result in a fire and shock hazard.
10. If you are wet, standing on a wet surface or are in water, you should not touch any electrical device.
11. Small appliances (hair dryers, toasters, etc.) should be unplugged when not in use. Unattended, connected appliances create an unnecessary risk.
12. Keep all appliance cords away from hot surfaces (toasters, range tops, ovens, etc.). Cords can be damaged by excessive heat.
13. Check that all appliances and electric equipment are located away from the sink and bath. Appliances can kill if they come in contact with water.
14. In kitchens, bathrooms and anywhere there is water nearby, standard outlets should be replaced with ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). GFCIs are devices that will provide shock protection by quickly cutting off the circuit and preventing injury. GFCIs should be UL-approved and installed by a licensed electrician.
15. Never insert any metal object, such as a fork, into an appliance.
16. Make sure you're using the correct wattage and proper kind of lightbulb in an overhead or ceiling fixture. The wrong type of bulb can lead to overheating or fire. If you don't know the correct wattage, use a bulb no larger than 60 watts.
17. Make sure extension and lamp cords are out of traffic areas. Cords can create tripping hazards and may be damaged by foot traffic.
18. Never leave electric heaters or hot plates unattended when in use.
19. If an appliance repeatedly blows a fuse or trips a circuit breaker, or if it has given you a shock, unplug it and have it repaired or replaced.
BLAST WINTER ENERGY HOGS
As harsh winter weather sets in, now is the time to send your home's energy hogs out the door.
Rid your home of these common winter culprits:
Dirty air filters. They make your heating system work harder to keep the air comfortable. Change the filter every month.
Leaky ducts. A contractor can test your ducts for leakage and repair any problems.
Chilly water heater. If your water heater is in the garage or basement, it's spending some of its energy trying to keep itself warm–instead of devoting all its energy to heating water. Pick up an insulating jacket at a hardware or home store and wrap it up.
Wood fireplace. Traditional fireplaces suck heated air into the chimney and release it outdoors. Retire yours, close off the damper and add an electric fireplace insert, which doesn't add much heat to a room but looks nice in the hearth.
Drafty doors and windows. Caulk and weatherstripping are easy to apply around windows and doors, especially those leading to a basement or attic. And you'll see a difference on your energy bill.
WINTER WEATHER SAFETY
By Chris Grammes
Snow and ice storms are an inevitable part of winter. However, they can lead to downed power lines and outages. Remember the following tips to stay safe and warm should you find yourself in the dark after a severe winter event:
1. Never touch a fallen power line, and always assume all wires on the ground are electrically charged. Call your electric cooperative to report it immediately. Avoid contact with overhead lines during cleanup and other activities.
2. In the event of an outage, use an alternate heating source—such as a fireplace, propane space heater or wood stove. Extreme caution should be taken.
3. Plan to stay in an area of the home where the alternate heat source is located.
4. Fuel- and wood-burning heating sources should be vented. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's directions.
5. Make sure carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors are working properly.
6. Do not use a gas-powered oven for heating. A gas oven may go out or burn inefficiently, leading to carbon monoxide poisoning.
7. Do not use a gas or charcoal grill inside the home. Do not use charcoal briquettes in the fireplace.
8. If you use a portable generator to power a heating source, be sure the generator is located outside your house for proper ventilation. Do not use a generator in an attached garage. Follow the manufacturer's directions for operating the generator.
9. Take special care not to overload a generator. Use appropriately sized extension cords to carry the electric load. Make sure the cords have a grounded, three-pronged plug and are in good condition.
10 Never connect generators to your home's wiring. The reverse flow of electricity can electrocute an unsuspecting utility worker.
Ideally, your family will stay warm until the power comes back on. But keep an eye on family members for signs of hypothermia, such as shivering, drowsiness and mental and physical slowness. The elderly and young children are particularly vulnerable to hypothermia. Call 911 immediately if you notice these symptoms. At least one telephone in the house that does not depend on electricity should be available in the case of a power outage.
GIVE SPACE HEATERS SPACE
Electric space heaters can efficiently warm a small space. Use them safely so they don't turn your comfortable room into a fire hazard.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that space heaters cause more than 25,000 house fires and 300 deaths every year.
Here's how to use your space heater safely:
1. Choose heaters that are rated as safe by Underwriters Laboratories.
2. Keep all bedding, drapes, pets and people at least 3 feet away from a space heater that's turned on.
3. Buy a space heater with a thermostat to avoid overheating the room.
4. Get a heater that's the right size for the room. Oversized heaters waste energy.
TUNE UP YOUR HOME OFFICE
You might be working in a home office a little more often lately to save on gas. Make sure inefficient office equipment isn't canceling out the energy savings.
Tune up your workspace to save energy—and maybe a little money on your electric bill, too.
1. It's tempting to leave your computer on all the time for quick access, but shut it down overnight. Like burning a light in an empty room, an operating computer wastes energy if you won't use it for more than two hours.
2. Enable your computer's power-management features. These are the features that automatically put your computer into a more efficient "standby" mode when it's not in use.
3. Shut off printers, copiers, scanners, fax machines and other devices when you leave your home office. If you plug them into one power strip, you can turn them off with the flick of a single switch. Some power strips now come with timers that you can set to automatically turn equipment off each evening.
4. Buying new home-office equipment? Look for the Energy Star label on computers, printers, copiers and fax machines. Energy Star appliances use less energy in standby mode.
5. If you spend most of the day in your home office, lower the thermostat so you're not keeping all of your other rooms unnecessarily warm. Keep your office comfortable by using a space heater.
6. Replace your halogen torchiere lamp with a compact fluorescent torchiere. It's safer, uses less energy and costs less to operate.
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