Leviton Safety Devices

In today’s world, families live life on the go. With all the running around from work to school to meetings and everywhere in between, we often put household projects on the back burner. One project that should not be put off is evaluating the electrical safety of your home. There is no time like the present to take a good look around your home and make the necessary changes to eliminate electrical hazards that can potentially lead to fires or electric shock.

Evaluating Electrical Safety in Your Home
A good start is to take inventory of the outlets both inside and outside your home. If you do not have Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlets in areas that contain exposure to water or which are prone to dampness the home may not be as safe as it could be. Remember that electricity and water don’t mix! Don’t know if your house is equipped with GFCI outlets? They’re easy to spot. They have two buttons on the face – one to test the outlet and the other to reset the protection following an interruption of power caused by a ground fault. A GFCI helps protect people by interrupting the flow of electricity when it detects a problem such as a ground fault. “GFCI protected outlets are essential in areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, basements, laundry areas, garages and outdoors,” said Bill Grande, a Leviton Manufacturing Company product expert. “In fact, the National Electric Code requires GFCIs in these areas for all new construction.”
In terms of maintenance, GFCIs should be tested monthly to ensure they are in working condition. Testing your GFCI takes less than a minute when following these simple steps:

• Plug a lamp into the GFCI and turn it on. The light should now be on.
• Push the “TEST” button of the GFCI. The GFCI should “trip” and the light should go off.
• Push the “RESET” button. The light should come back on.

If the device either did not trip or reset as described the GFCI should be replaced.
While checking the outdoor outlets, it is also a good idea to inspect any weather-resistant covers. The elements – particularly cold and snow – can potentially damage covers. Covers which appear cracked, have damaged hinges or are otherwise compromised should be replaced in order to provide maximum protection.

Keep an Eye on These Other Electrical Safety Hazards
Electrical outlet safety is just one facet of overall home electrical safety. Homeowners should also be alert to other hazards such as overloaded outlets, frayed wires and dimming or flickering lights. According to the National Fire Protection Association, an average of 53,000 electrical home structure fires occur each year, claiming more than 450 lives, injuring more than 1,400 people, and causing more than $1.4 billion in property damage (National Fire Protection Association, 2002-2006). Don’t let your home become a statistic – practice periodic home electrical safety inspections and call in an electrician to address any problems you may uncover.

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