Resolve To Use Extension Cords Safely

Having you been relying on extension cords instead of an electrician to help you and your family keep going this past year? You aren’t the only one!

Last year, when you first started working from home or when the kids first started to explore the possibilities of distance learning, you probably figured your home would only need to serve as an office or school for a few weeks, maybe a month.

Well, here we are, almost a year later and we are still dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. Many of the people who call us, looking for an electrician in the Lighthouse Point/Pompano Beach area who can help them, tell us that they have been relying on extension cords to keep everything powered up.

EXTENSION CORD SAFETY
The folks at Safe Electricity have a bunch of great tips that will help you avoid dangerous situations when using extension cords, including:

• Only use cords that are properly rated for your intended use.
• Unplug an extension cord if any part of it heats up while you are using it. It’s time to replace that one.
• It may be tempting as you try to adapt existing spaces to new uses, but don’t cover them with anything.
• That means, do not place extension cords under carpets, rugs or furniture.
• Grabbing an extension cord might have been a good solution when you thought you were dealing with a temporary situation, but extension cords are not a long-term fix for the kind of ongoing situation we find ourselves in.

It may be time to start thinking about starting that search for an “electrician near me.” Ensuring your family’s safety and productivity may be as simple as adding a couple of electrical outlets. In some cases, however, you may need an electrical panel change to accommodate the extra electrical demands of your household. Either way, we would love to help. You can contact us for more information and to discuss your unique situation. Give us a call at (561) 303-5475.