Smoke detectors are designed to sense rising smoke in your home. They should be placed high on the walls of your home, but contrary to some beliefs, not necessarily on the ceiling. The reason being, from some in the fire extinguisher business, is that other deadly gasses, say from burning foam in couches, will actually rise to the top at ceiling level, forcing the smoke downward to possibly twelve inches below the ceiling. In this case, the smoke detector may not detect the smoke. It is better to place the detector around 12" from the ceiling on the wall.
This Christmas, avoid adding too many strings of Christmas lights to any one circuit that would cause a circuit overload and a possible electrical fire. Too often, we are tempted to be like the Grizzwalds and add as many Christmas lights to our Christmas trees, windows and roofs of our homes.
There are dangers associated with light fixture bulbs that are not covered with a globe in an area like a closet. These bare light bulbs often get very hot and can become an ignition source to start a fire in your home. These light bulbs are usually found in attics, closets and crawl spaces. The worst case scenario usually is a closet light. This will either be a plastic or porcelain light fixture, with or without a pull chain.
Overhead power lines have some strict guidelines for height clearances over streets, sidewalks, alleys, roads, and driveways. The National Electrical Code (NEC) mandates acceptable clearances for power lines to keep the public safe from coming into contact with them. You see, cables high enough to avoid a person walking past them, may not be high enough to eliminate the possibility of a large truck or person carrying an extension ladder from coming into contact with it. That's exactly
Electrical burns are a direct result of electric current passing through a body by coming into contact with a live electrical circuit. The effects of electrical burns are often unseen, due to internal damage. Some signs of electrical burns are obvious on the surface of the skin in the form of exit wounds. Serious health complications can result from electrical burns and knowing what to do for someone in such an emergency can not only save their life, but also keep you out of harms way as well!
Electrical testers are great for testing to see if circuits and devices have voltage running to them, but is the tester really functioning properly? This is a real concern when working with electrical circuits. Let's say you use your tester and it says no voltage is present. You touch the device or wire and get zapped. After you shake off the jolt, you probably throw the tester across the room. So how can you be sure that the tester is working properly?
