Electrical Safety Inspections: Avoiding Home Electrical Fires

As electricians in San Antonio, TX performing home electrical safety inspections year in year out, we are particularly alert to the root causes of electrical fires. We have observed too many code violations not to know that unbeknownst to their owners, homes in our region are often at a high risk of burning.

Home electrical fires are devastating, from loss of irreplaceable personal heirlooms, to loss of human and animal life. In apartment buildings, fires can easily propagate from one floor to another, and ruin the lives of many families. In this article, we recommend actions you can do to prevent home electrical fires.

1. Electrical Distribution, Lighting, and Power Transfer Equipment

Faulty wiring in concealed spaces, such as attics or behind walls, is particularly dangerous. It can start fires that burn for a prolonged period before detection. Wiring and related equipment accounted for two-thirds of home fires caused by electrical distribution and lighting equipment. These also caused over half of the civilian deaths and injuries. An electrical safety inspection can identify these issues.

The biggest factors contributing to ignition include electrical failure of malfunction and equipment or circuit overload.

Research shows that aluminum wire connections are prone to deterioration, leading to hazardous overheating. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends that qualified electricians replace or repair home aluminum wiring.

2. Cooking equipment

Cooking is the second leading cause of home fire deaths. Between 2017 and 2021, cooking caused an average of 158,400 reported home fires per year. This resulted in 470 deaths and 4,150 injuries annually. This can be caused by a variety of factors: unattended cooking, combustible materials, cooking methods, and types of cooking oil and grease.

People ought to be much more aware of the risks associated with cooking. They should especially be familiar with what to do to avoid oil and grease fires. Smoke alarms are also incredibly important at preventing fatalities and injuries.

In view of the gravity of these risks, we recommend:

• Ask a licensed electrician to inspect your smoke alarm systems during an electrical safety inspection
• Have a small fire extinguisher handy, on a wall or on a shelf, near your cooking station.

3. Heating Equipment

Heating equipment is a leading cause of fires in U.S. homes, responsible for an estimated annual average of 44,210 home structure fires. Space heaters were most often the culprits, accounting for one-third of the fires and most of the deaths and injuries.

4. Fans

While fans contribute to a smaller number of fires, the damage can still be overwhelming. Portable fans are particularly dangerous, accounting for a disproportionate number of deaths and injuries. This suggests that the portability and common usage of these fans around the home may contribute to their higher risk.

The data implies that proper maintenance and cautious placement of fans—especially portable ones—could mitigate risks. Given that electrical and mechanical issues are leading causes, regular inspection and servicing of fans could be beneficial.

5. Clothes Dryers and Washers

An estimated 15,970 home fires involving clothes dryers or washing machines occur every year. The leading cause of these fires was failure to clean the lint filter, accounting for 31% of the incidents. Mechanical failure or electrical failure were other factors causing fires. 

Actions you can do yourself:

• Clean the lint filter: Before or after each use, the lint filter should be cleaned to prevent accumulated dust and lint, which can be a fire hazard.
• Proper airflow: Ensure that the dryer sustains proper air flow and drying time. Replace plastic ducting from the dryer as it can trap lint and is susceptible to kinks or crushing, reducing airflow.
• Clear area: Keep the area around the dryer clear of combustibles like boxes and clothing.
• Care with volatile chemicals: Extra care should be taken when drying clothes soiled with volatile chemicals like gasoline, cooking oils, and cleaning agents. If possible, wash the clothing more than once or hang the clothes to dry. Use the lowest heat setting and a drying cycle that has a cool-down period at the end.
• Avoid overloading: Do not overload a washing machine or dryer, and follow the manufacturer’s equipment care and operating instructions. This should reduce the risk of fire due to leaks or broken parts.

Actions a licensed professional must do:

• Regular maintenance: Keep dryers in good working order to avoid problems associated with lack of maintenance and part failures. Gas dryers should be inspected occasionally to ensure that the gas line and connection are intact and free of leaks.
• Proper grounding: Washing machines and dryers should be properly grounded to reduce the risk of electrical problems.
• Professional check: If there are any doubts that the equipment is running properly or safely, have a professional check it.

Contact our licensed electricians for peace of mind

Take control of your home’s safety with an inspection by our licensed electricians. Contact us today to get started.