7 Easy Ways to Keep Your Home Safe From a Fire, According to Electricians

We’re all probably guilty of it: taking electricity for granted. It’s there every minute of the day, from the alarm and coffee maker in the morning to turning off the last lamp at night, making sure we can stay cool (or warm) and comfy, cook dinner, read in bed, wash our dishes and clothes, and, well, live our lives. It’s also a powerful force that can be downright dangerous if we’re not careful. 

In fact, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that more than 32,000 home fires a year are related to wiring, lighting, cords, and plugs... Scary! And it’s not like we get a class on electrical safety, so most of us just rely on whatever practices we’ve picked up along the way. That might not be enough because common knowledge doesn’t necessarily cover all the bases.

To find out what we really need to know when it comes to the safe use of electricity at home, we went straight to the experts—here are their tips for keeping your home safe. 

Choose the Right Bulb

Shopping for light bulbs is confusing; What Kelvin temperature is best? Which base size do you need? And what’s a lumen anyway? But when it comes to safety, this is a case of being sure to read the label.

“Always use the proper rated light bulb(s) wattage for the light fixture,” says Hannahs. “The maximum wattage should be shown on a sticker that is commonly on the light socket (where you screw in the light bulb) but could also be somewhere on the light fixture itself.”

According to Hannahs, if you use a bulb with a higher wattage than your fixture is rated for, the light socket can melt, or a fire can start. So take the moment to find out what wattage you need, and stick with that. 

Skip the Extension Cord

Especially if you live in an older house, outlets may be few and far between and/or oddly placed. That makes it tempting to grab an extension cord to get electricity where you need it. However, you definitely want to make sure larger load appliances like space heaters, air conditioners, and hot plates are plugged directly into a wall receptacle outlet.

“Extension cords and plug strips should not be used," Hannahs says. "That’s because these appliances often draw a significant ampacity that exceeds the rating of extension cords and plug strips.” He adds that just because it appears the appliances are working initially, the load being imposed that exceeds the extension cord or plug strip rating could eventually degrade their integrity and cause a fire.

And if you do use an extension cord for a suitable item, never run it under a rug. Fires can start when heat builds up near things that burn, according to the NFPA. And a cord that has been placed under a carpet definitely falls under that category.

Use GFCIs

You’ve probably heard of GFCIs, but what are they, and why do we need them? Well, we know water and electricity don’t mix. "Ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) are a safety mechanism that will shut off an electrical circuit when a shock hazard arises,” Hannahs explains, such as spaces where both electricity and water are present. GFCIs should be installed in bathrooms, kitchens, garages and basements, as well as all outdoor receptacles.

While GFCIs are typically installed as receptacle outlets (you can recognize them by the "Reset" and "Test" buttons), if it’s not feasible to replace the outlets, he says, they can also be installed at electrical panels as circuit breakers.

If more homes used GFCIs, it would ”reduce electrocutions and mitigate thousands of electrical burn and shock injuries still occurring in and around the home each year,” according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC).

Test GFCIs

Just having GFCIs isn’t enough though, cautions Hannahs. You have to make sure they’re working properly. “They should be tested at least monthly or more frequently as the manufacturer recommends,” he says. 

To test the GFCI, according to the CSPC, plug a lamp into the outlet and turn the lamp on, then press the GFCI’s test button. If the light doesn’t go out, the GFCI isn’t working properly and needs an electrician’s attention. Assuming it works, next press the reset button. If the light doesn’t come back on? The GFCI needs to be replaced. 

Protect Outlets and Children From One Another

“If you have little kids, use plastic covers for outlets,” says Warkins. “I have seen so many damaged outlets from kids putting knives in outlets, causing major damage!” 

At minimum, be sure your receptacles are tamper-resistant. According to the NFPA some 2,400 children suffer severe shock and burns each year by sticking things into the slots of electrical receptacles.

Tamper-resistant receptacles function just like any receptacle, but they add a built-in safety mechanism that helps prevent electricity from energizing anything that is stuck into the receptacle that shouldn’t be. 

Don’t Overheat Outlets

Kitchen outlets are workhorses, serving up power to any number of small and large appliances—and we often want to use more than one at a time. The NFPA cautions us to take it easy on these outlets though, and only plug in one heat-producing appliance at a time.

Keep your microwave oven on a separate outlet from your toaster, for example, and your toaster oven separate from your coffee maker to prevent wiring from overheating.

Just Don’t DIY It

With our 24/7 access to YouTube university, there’s not much we can’t learn from online videos. "While those may be great for some do-it-yourself projects, electrical work is not one of them,” Hannahs says.

It may save some money in the short term, but you’re (literally!) playing with fire if you tackle your own electrical work. “Always hire a qualified electrician to perform electrical work in your home,” says Hannahs. “They are trained in the code requirements and installation methods that will keep you, your home, and the things you cherish most safe.”