Top 5 Home Electrical Safety Tips for Families
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Electrical safety is an essential part of keeping your home and family protected from hidden dangers. While we rely on electricity every day, small issues can quickly turn into serious hazards if left unchecked. The good news is that with a few simple steps—like testing smoke alarms, checking safety switches, inspecting cords, and avoiding overloaded power boards—you can prevent costly emergencies and ensure a safer living space. Taking a little time to perform these checks can give you peace of mind and keep your home running safely all year round.
Top 5 Home Electrical Safety Tips for Families
With a new year comes a new opportunity for good habits, both personally and within the home. Electrical safety is something that is at the front of our minds, because we see dangerous situations on a weekly basis. With a few basic safety checks though, these risks can be greatly reduced - keeping you and your family (and pets) safe in your home.
We've taken all our experiences from the past year, and compiled a Top 5 List of the easiest and most beneficial safety checks you can perform on your own home. Check out our list below and see which ones you already do, and which ones you can begin to do in 2025 to ensure a safe home!
Smoke Alarm Testing
Smoke alarms are not something you can just set up and forget about, and actually need to be tested often!
- Make sure your smoke alarm has not expired (they only have a 10 year lifespan).
- Push the TEST button to check if the alarm actually works.
- Replace the battery every 6 - 9 months (or whichever interval works for you, sometimes twice a year is easier to remember)
IMPORTANT!
If your smoke alarm keeps going off when you cook, do not just remove the batteries and disable it. We strongly advise relocating it to a better spot, but still close enough to detect kitchen fires.
Safety Switch Testing
In a modern home, all electrical circuits are protected by Safety Switches. (if your home is older than the 2018 build date, this may not be the case and you should contact your electrician to ask about a full or partial switchboard upgrade).
These Safety Switches are incredibly crucial to the safety of your home, as they detect electrical imbalances in the circuits they protect. It doesn't sound like much, but the 'real world' example of an electrical imbalance may be:
- Wires shorting out from rodent damage
- A person receiving an electric shock
- Water causing short circuits in your wiring
- Faulty appliances
- Heaters shorting out from overuse
These protection devices literally save lives... so do yourself a favor and push the TEST button on each safety switch to ensure they will turn off the circuit (or "trip" as we call it) just as they would when your child sticks a knife into a power outlet, or your dog chews a TV cable, or you touch your faulty washing machine - all fatalities avoided thanks to a functioning safety switch!
Safety switches are supposed to be tested every 3 months, but realistically if you do a "twice a year" home safety check that's much more than most people bother to do.
Damaged Cables
In a workplace, your employer arranges testing and tagging of the workplace electrical appliances, to ensure your workplace is safe. But you spend just as much time at home, and never check anything - right?
Just checking all appliance plugs and leads can be a great way to prevent issues down the line. You might notice heat has affected the plug on your kettle, or even started to melt a faulty power outlet. Instead of waiting for an expensive fault finding visit, you may avoid a larger problem by performing your own super easy electrical check. Just look for any frayed wires, burn marks, or loose connections on plugs and cords. If you spot damage, stop using the appliance and replace or repair it to stay safe.
Common causes of issues are appliances that use a lot of electricity, like heaters, kettles, toasters, air fryers and plug in ovens. Check these especially for signs of heat stress.
Damaged or Worn Switches
Nobody wants to spend their Saturday night dealing with an unexpected electrical issue—especially when it could have been handled earlier at a fraction of the cost. A little proactive checking can save you the stress, hassle, and expense of an after-hours emergency call.
We're talking about broken switches, be it for lights or for turning on or off your power outlets. If the switch mechanism fails, a few things can occur:
- Flickering lights
- Buzzing noise from the switch
- Burning smell from the switch
- Melting of the switch mechanism
- Exposed live metal from a missing switch
The telltale sign for any of the above is if the switch mechanism doesn't feel as 'clicky' or crisp in its switching than the other switches, or if it fails to be fully on or fully off in its position. (it sits 90% down for example) Sometimes the switch may also be crooked in its positioning, indicating the left or the right side retaining tab has broken off and the switch is about to pop out the wall... hello exposed conductive parts!
Overloaded Power Boards
What's cheaper than repairing a wall from a melted power board?
Installing enough power outlets for your appliances!
We see way too many overloaded power boards, usually covered in flammable dust to add to the problem. Ensuring you have enough power outlets is a great way to protect yourself from a completely avoidable fire. Behind TV's is a very common place for issues to occur, or even more so the annual Christmas Light disasters we see...
And let's not even get started on power boards plugged into other power boards! We strongly suggest you do not try to create your own 16 outlet setup! Just contact your electrician and get some power outlets installed where you need them, and avoid all the issues down the track. If you move houses make sure to keep this in mind, so you can have it prepared before move in day!
Electrical Safety for Kids
Children are naturally curious, which makes electrical safety especially important. Teach kids to never put objects into power outlets and use safety plug covers if needed. Keep cords out of reach, especially from toddlers who might pull on them or chew them. Show older children how to safely plug and unplug appliances by holding the plug, not the cord. Most importantly, set a good example by following all safety rules yourself—kids learn by watching!
Stay Safe With Simple Checks
Electrical safety at home doesn’t have to be complicated, and a few quick checks can go a long way in preventing serious hazards. By testing smoke alarms, safety switches, and inspecting cords, switches, and power boards, you can catch potential problems before they become emergencies. A little effort now can save you stress, money, and most importantly, keep your family safe. Make home electrical safety a habit, and enjoy peace of mind knowing your home is protected.
