Bedroom Electrical Safety Tips
You may think your bedroom is pretty safe from electrical faults, after all it’s a place of rest and relaxation. However, there are electrical hazards even here. These can come from anything such as portable heaters, fan heaters, and electric radiators, or smaller appliances like hair straighteners and hairdryers, tongs or electric straightening hair brushes.
Portable electrical heaters.
With heaters there are things you can do, such as making sure the heater is on an even surface, making sure it’s nowhere near objects which can go up in flames easily, and whatever you do, don’t use it to dry your clothes. Extension leads for your heaters are a bad idea and always check the condition of your portable heater to make sure it’s in full working order. Always buy them from reputable retailers and make sure you register your new heater with the manufacturer. Carrying out a portable appliance test can help guard against any mishaps or potential hazards.
Heating appliances and chargers.
Try not to leave your appliances on, especially if you leave the room for a long period of time. They can often overheat and burn through the surface you’ve left them on. Don’t leave them on bedding or underneath pillows or cushions because this could cause an electrical fire. What you can do is make sure that whether it’s a tablet or phone on charge, or a hair appliance, that it’s always on a hard level surface. Turn them off before you go to bed or if you’re going away for a few days, and don’t use the wrong brand of charger with your phone or tablet as it could be faulty. Never leave liquids unattended near any of your appliances when they’re switched on. Having a PAT test carried out can also prevent mishaps or potential hazards relating to chargers on appliances.
En-suite.
If you have a bathroom attached to your bedroom, you’ll often go from one room to another as you get on with your day. It’s easy to forget that your hands and other parts of your body are wet coming out of the bathroom, so it’s easy to give yourself an electric shock. Follow some simple rules and you should avoid electrical fires and life threatening accidents.
Cords, sockets, showers and long cables.
Whether you’re a homeowner or you rent your property, it’s important that all sockets are a good 3 to 4 metres from your bathroom, and you need to use enclosed lights in the bathroom, no naked bulbs. Switches should always be via a cord in the ceiling and any heaters should be fixed to the wall, and that includes towel rails. The showers should always have their own fuse box separate to the rest of the house. Whatever you do, don’t ever bring your hair dryer, heaters or any type of electrical appliance plugged into the socket, into the bathroom. Just because they may have long cables, doesn’t mean taking them into the wettest room in the house is a great idea. It could cause a fatal accident.
RML Electrical - quality electrical services from the top electricians in West Lothian.
If you’re looking to reduce the possibility of an electrical accident in your home, come talk to us for any further advice here at RML Electrical. Collectively, we have a team of experts who can give trustworthy and knowledgeable advice on electrical safety in West Lothian, so your questions will get the most qualified answer. Don’t wait for an accident, use some of the advice we’ve given you here and keep your family safe.