May 17, 2020

Home Electrical Safety Principles

By: ESFI.org

Many electrocutions and home fires can be prevented simply by understanding basic electrical safety principles and adhering to safe practices. ESFI has developed a number of resources to help educate homeowners, consumers, older adults, and children.

Whether you are a homeowner or a renter, electrical safety should be a top priority in your home. Awareness of electrical hazards is the key to reducing the staggering number of electrically-related home fires, injuries and deaths that occur every year.

The following information and resources from ESFI will help you gain a better understanding of how to use electricity and electrical products safely:

Prevent Electrical Overloads – Overloaded electrical circuits are a major cause of residential fires. Help lower your risk of electrical fires by not overloading your electrical system.

Extension Cord Safety – Roughly 3,300 home fires originate in extension cords each year, killing 50 people and injuring 270 more. Extension cords can overhead and cause fires when used improperly, so keep these important tips in mind to protect your home and workplace.

Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors – Working smoke alarms can mean the difference between life and death in the event of a home fire, but there is more you need to do to ensure your family is prepared to safely escape from a fire emergency.

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Electrical Safety – Review ESFI recommendations and safety tips before you decide to tackle electrical projects in your home.

Virtual Home – Take a tour of ESFI’s interactive virtual home for a visual introduction to your home electrical system and safety tips for using common electrical devices.

Electrical Safety Videos – ESFI’s video library contains a wide variety of safety videos that demonstrate critical home electrical safety concepts and tips.  Many videos are also available in Spanish.

Home Safety Checklists – Use these easy checklists to help you identify and correct electrical and fire hazards in your home before a serious incident occurs.

Blog: Fowler Electric Systems

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May 17, 2020

Electrical Safety Around Water

Electric shock drowning (ESD) happens when marina or onboard electrical systems leak electric current into the water. The current then passes through the body, causing paralysis, and results in drowning.

With summer in full swing, NFPA and Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) are joining forces to remind people about the potential electrical hazards that exist in swimming pools, hot tubs and spas, on board boats and in the waters surrounding boats, marinas and launch ramps.

Blog posts from NFPA’s Electrical Technical Lead Derek Vigstol:

MARINAS, LAKES, AND PONDS

Tips for swimmers
  • Never swim near a marina, dock or boatyard, or near a boat while it’s running.
  • Obey all “no swimming signs” on docks.
Tips for boat owners
  • Avoid entering the water when launching or loading your boat.  Docks or boats can leak electricity into the water causing water electrification.
  • Each year, and after a major storm that affects the boat, have the boat’s electrical system inspected by a qualified marine electrician to be sure it meets the required codes of your area, including theAmerican Boat & Yacht Council. Make the necessary repairs if recommended. Check with the marina owner who can also tell you if the marina’s electrical system has recently been inspected to meet the required codes of your area, including the National Electrical Code (NEC).
  • Know where your main breaker(s) are located on both the boat and the shore power source so you can respond quickly in case of an emergency.
  • Have ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) installed on the boat; use only portable GFCIs or shore power cords (including “Y” adapters) that are Marine Listed when using electricity  near water. Test GFCIs monthly.

Blog: Fowler Electric Systems 

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tonyaMain, Uncategorized
May 17, 2019

5 Tips for Using a Generator During an Electrical Outage

By: Family Handyman, Fox News

Generators can be a real lifesaver. But used improperly, they can be a killer, too. Carbon monoxide and electrocution hazards are real dangers if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Here are a few of the most important things to keep in mind:

1. Never operate a generator in or too close to your house
Generator manufacturers warn you over and over about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. Yet every year, people die from running their generators in their garage or too close to their house. The manufacturers aren’t kidding. You can’t run your generator in your garage, even with the door open. And you can’t run it under your eaves either. Yes, it’s a pain to move it away from the house and run longer extension cords. And yes, you’ll have to stand in the rain to refill the unit. But it’s better than bringing harm to your family.

2. Never “backfeed” power into your home
The Internet is filled with articles explaining how to “backfeed” power into your house with a “dual male-ended” extension cord. But that’s horrible advice and you shouldn’t follow it. Backfeeding is illegal — and for good reason. It can (and does) kill family members, neighbors and power company linemen every year. If you really want to get rid of all those extension cords, pony up the few hundred bucks for a transfer switch. Then pay an electrician to install it. That’s the only safe alternative to multiple extension cords. Period.

3. Let the generator cool down before refilling
Generator fuel tanks are always on top of the engine so they can “gravity-feed” gas to the carburetor. But that setup can quickly turn into a disaster if you spill gas when refueling a hot generator. Think about it — if you spill fresh gas onto a hot engine and it ignites, you’ve got about 8 more gallons of gas sitting right above the fire. Talk about an inferno! It’s no wonder generators (and owners) go up in flames every year from that little mistake. Spilling is especially easy if you refill at night without a flashlight. We know you can go without power for a measly 15 minutes, so cool your heels while the sucker cools down.

4. Store and pour safely
Most local residential fire codes limit how much gasoline you can store in your home or attached garage (usually 10 gallons or less). So you may be tempted to buy one large gas can to cut down on refill runs. Don’t. Because, at 6 pounds per gallon, there’s no way you can safely hold and pour 60 pounds of gas without spilling. Plus, most generator tanks don’t hold that much, so you increase your chances of overfilling. Instead, buy two high-quality 5-gallon cans. While you’re at it, consider spending more for a high-quality steel gas can with a trigger control valve (Justrite No. 7250130 is one example).

5. Run it on a level surface
Many small generators have “splash” lubrication systems with crankshaft “dippers” that scoop up oil and splash it onto moving parts. That system works well if the unit is on level ground. But if you park the generator on a slope (usually more than 10 degrees), the dippers can’t reach all the oil, and some engine parts run dry. That’s a recipe for catastrophic failure. So heed the manufacturer’s warnings and place your generator on a level surface. If you don’t have a level spot, make one. That advice holds true even if you have a pressurized lubrication system.

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