Month: March 2018

Electricity provides great benefits and comforts to us. Can you imagine living without it? Though its uses are infinite, electricity is one of the most dangerous elements in our everyday lives. It is essential that your electrical systems are grounded. If they are not, the risks can be detrimental. Here are some vitalfacts about grounded electrical currents that most people don’t know.

Understanding Electricity

Wherever there is an electrical circuit, you have both an active wire that supplies power and a neutral wire that carries a current back. A grounding wire, whether attached to an outlet or other electrical device, should be securely connected at the breaker box to the ground. The grounding wire serves as an extra path for an electrical current to safely return to the ground without causing danger to anyone should a short circuit occur.   When a short circuit occurs, the current flows through the grounding wire causing a tripped circuit breaker or a blown fuse. If that current was not grounded, a tragic shock would likely take place.

Top 4 Reasons Grounded Electrical Currents are Important

There are a variety of reasons why grounding electricity is critically important. These are the primary reasons why you should ensure your electrical system is properly grounded.

• Protects against electrical overloads – Grounding electrical currents protects your home, your appliances and your family from surges in electricity. If the power in your home was to surge for any reason at all, or if lightning was to strike, high voltages of electricity would be produced in your electrical system. However, if your system is grounded, all the additional electricity that is generated simply goes into the ground rather than causing severe damage to everything that is connected to your electrical system.
• Helps stabilize voltage levels – When your electrical system is grounded it makes the task of distributing the right amount of power to all the right places much easier. This can contribute greatly to ensuring that circuits are not overloaded or at any one time blown.
• Helps guide electricity – A grounded electrical system allows for power to be directed exactly where it is needed. Electrical currents are then allowed to travel safely and efficiently throughout your entire system.
• Helps prevent damage, injury and even death – When your electrical system is not grounded you put all your appliances connected to the system at risk of being damaged and even destroyed. An ungrounded system could overload causing fire, extreme property damage and even physical injuries or death.

It is important to create a safe and efficient electrical system in your home. By ensuring your electrical system is properly grounded, you provide protection against fluctuations in your power supply. In addition, you can rest assured your family and belongings are safe. If you live in an older home or suspect a shoddy electrical job was performed, take time out to have your system professionally inspected. The team at Gervais Electric stands ready to help make sure your home and family are safe from any electrical tragedies. We provide quality products and services that will simply not be matched by any of our competitors.

Get in touch with us below if you have any questions. One of our professionals would be happy to speak with you about any concerns you may have. We look forward to serving you!

We all rely on electricity. It is important to at least be familiar with potential dangers and how to identify possible electrical hazards. Electrical fires and electrocutions happen more frequently than you may know. Most of them are preventable. Knowing commonly found electrical hazards will help ensure the health and safety of your home and family.

Water

We all know that water and electricity should never be mixed. Even still, there are occasions when a simple mistake can result in serious injury. Simply turning on your curling iron or hair dryer while your hands are wet could have serious consequences. It is critical that you never touch electrical outlets or appliances of any kind when your hands are wet! Also, be sure to keep any cords away from water sources such as bathtubs, sinks, spas or pools. And always take appropriate steps to ensure that your hands and feet are completely dry before you touch any type of electronics.

Damaged Wires and Cords

If you notice any cords in your home that are frayed, corroded, melted, or have turned black in color, don’t use them. If you can see wires on the inside showing, the odds of suffering a shock, burn or even a fire are increased. As a rule of thumb, if you have damaged cords or wires, do not attempt to fix or mend them. Replace them altogether or contact a professional electrician to help.

Extension Cords

Extension cords can be really handy, and most people use them. However, they should not be used for extended periods of time. Extension cords are meant to be used temporarily and should always be unplugged when they are not in use. When running an extension cord, we also warn you not to run them through your home’s ceilings or walls because this can easily result in overheating and a dangerous electrical fire. If you are constantly in need of using an extension cord, reach out to our qualified electricians here at Gervais Electric and have additional wall outlets installed.

Children and Pets

There is one last hazard, possibly the most important one, we’d like to point out to you. Curious children or even pets are susceptible to shock or worse. Most electrical outlets are positioned and installed near the floor, which makes them easily accessible to our little ones. Though you cannot move the outlets themselves, you can place plastic covers over each of the outlets or plastic plug-ins to safeguard your children and animals. These covers can help stop kids from poking fingers, toys or other objects inside outlets. Also, keep in mind how curious your pets can be and take steps to keep loose wires and cords away from where your pets can easily get to them.

Using these simple but practical tips to minimize the electrical hazards will help safeguard your family, pets and home from serious electrocutions or fires. To learn more about how to protect your family and home, consult with the professionals at Gervais Electric today or read more here on our blog. And don’t forget, whatever your electrical needs may be, no matter how big or small a project you have, Gervais Electric are the ideal team for you. We look forward to serving you with all your family’s electrical needs—winter, spring, summer or fall. Don’t delay. Contact us today!