If your home is more than just a few years old you may not have many of the new home safety devices installed in it that are now available. These devices are integrated into your electrical system and can help lower the risk of electrocutions and fires in your dwelling.
TAMPER RESISTANT RECEPTACLES (TRRS)
It is estimated that more than 2400 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms for electrical shock or burns caused when they tamper with a wall outlet in their home. Inexpensive technology exists that can dramatically lower the incidence of children being injured by electricity in this manner. Call your local electrician today and ask about installing tamper resistant receptacles (a.k.a. TTR).
They may look like ordinary outlets but they have a spring-loaded cover to close off the receptacle openings or slots. The cover plates are easily manipulated by a grown-up but will remain closed unless a child is capable of applying simultaneous pressure to both sides. As long as the plates are closed, the child will not be able to insert foreign objects into the outlet, thus preventing electrical shock injuries.
ARC FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTERS (AFCIS)
Research has shown that over 51,000 electrical fires occur in the United States on an annual basis and many of them are calls by an arc fault. This problem is calls when electrical wiring or devices become damaged, overheated or in some other way stressed.
AFCIs replace standard circuit breakers in your service panel providing a higher level of electrical fire protection by detecting the conditions that lead to hazardous arcing and shutting off the electricity to prevent a fire.
The 2011 National Electrical Code (NEC) requires that AFCIs not only be installed in the bedroom area, dining and living room areas as well.
GROUND FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTERS (GFCIS)
A GFCI device protects your family and you from electric shock and electrocution by monitoring electricity flow in a circuit. Through this constant monitoring, it can detect any loss of current and will quickly cut off the power to the outlet. You will see them in most homes in the kitchen, bathroom, exterior outlets and garages. Basically anywhere water may come in contact with electricity. They could prevent more than two-thirds of electrocutions in the homes of Dacula, Lawrenceville, Hoschton and Braselton that occur each year.
Call it a Electrical Pros today to have professional installation of the safety devices in your home or office.