Electrical Service Professionals Provide Tips on Outlet Safety

News provided by

The Dwyer Group 1

Apr 20, 2015, 14:50 ET


WACO, Texas (PRWEB) April 20, 2015 -- The days will continue to get warmer and it will be time to do a thorough spring-cleaning of the home. Mr. Electric wants to remind homeowners to add inspecting and testing home outlets to the spring-cleaning checklist.

Outlets serve a vital function in the home. Specific types of outlets should only be used with certain electrical appliances in the home and Mr. Electric explains which outlets are best to use, where they should be placed and why they should be used. Understanding what outlets do is an important part of home ownership. It is important to look them over and test them, especially Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlets, on a regular basis.

Weather-resistant receptacles
Outdoor areas that can get damp or wet should have weather-resistant receptacles installed for safety. Patios, decks and especially pool areas should have weather-resistant receptacles. The specially designed outlets are built with corrosion-resistant metals to handle outdoor conditions. The outlets are designed to withstand cold and inclement weather. Weather-resistant outlets should always be installed with weather-resistant covers.

The National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) reported that the kitchen is the leading area of home structure fires. To prevent kitchen fires, homeowners should always plug countertop appliances into Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlets.

GFCI
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter outlets protect from ground faults. GFCI outlets monitor the current flowing through the conductors and determine if any current is leaking from the circuit. GFCI outlets trip and turn off power if hazardous leakage levels occur. Housing codes require GFCI outlets to be installed in bathrooms, wet areas of kitchens, basements and outdoors.

15-amp duplex receptacles
Since the 1960s, the 15-amp duplex receptacle has been the standard electrical outlet in American homes. The outlets are easily recognizable with two vertical slots, one slightly larger than the other, with a ground, shaped like half a circle, beneath the vertical slots. The larger slot is the neutral, while the shorter slot is considered “hot.”

For more information about outlet safety, visit mrelectric.com. To learn more about home outlets, click here.

Jason Lee, The Dwyer Group 1, +1 (254) 745-5085, [email protected]