Electrical Fire Hazard Awareness

If your like most Americans you live in an older home. The question of safety may be of some concern. We are going to touch base with  fire hazards with older homes.

Old wiring can be unsafe and a fire hazard. Most older homes were not built with a ground wire. So if you have a ground fault, anyone can be electrocuted. 

Older homes were wired with aluminum instead of copper. The wiring itself isn’t a problem, the trouble is at the connections. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that homes with aluminum wiring are 55 times more likely to have “fire hazard conditions” than homes wired with copper.

Older Panels like Zinsco, Gould and some other are no longer in business. If you have an older panel we recommend you call an electrician and have it inspected. Even insurance company are starting to drop coverage on homes with older panels due to fire hazards.

Other hazards are oversize breakers with undersized wire. Making the wire through out your home overheat due to exceeding the rated temperature. This can burn all the insulation off the wires and cause a fire within the walls. Bad connections are also a fire hazard. The best bet is when in doubt call an electrician for a home inspection. Safety should always be first.

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