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Common electrical hazards


author

Johnson, Duane

publication

The Family Handyman

issn
volume
start page

0014-7230
45
70

published
issue
added

October 1, 1995
9
12:10 PM

My house has them, and I'll bet your house has a few of them tooa broken light switch you
never get around to replacing, a "temporary" extension cord that has become permanent, or
a loose receptacle with a cracked cover plate. Nothing big or dramatic; just a number of little
hazards that, as accident statistics show, can cause big trouble, perhaps a fire or a lethal
electrical shock.
In this article we'll point out six of the most common electrical hazards and tell you how to fix
them. We won't go into stepbystep detail on the fixes, but most of them are easy and
inexpensive, and if you're a novice, look up the articles we refer to for help with the details.
Whether novice or expert, follow these precautions:
1. Turn off the power at your main panel before you begin.
2. Test the wires with a voltage tester ($3) to make sun the power is off before handling them
(Photo 2)even professionals can be surprised!
3. Have your work checked by the electrical inspector to make sure you did it correctly. (You
may need a permit for certain types of work.)
Use screwin receptacles with caution.
You can easily overpower a receptacle that screws into a light socket. That's because light
sockets typically have a maximum power rating of about 700 watts, or about 6 amps, well
below the 15 amps available through most regular receptacles. So if you plug a 10amp
electric heater into the light socket receptacle, you'll cause it to overheat, melt the wire
insulation, and perhaps cause a fire. Warning: The circuit breaker won't shut off to protect the
light socket, because the electrical current still falls within the circuit's safety limits!
It's safer to provide regular receptacles for all plugin devices, and use extension cords for
temporary needs.
AVOID OVERLOADING RECEPTACLES WITH TAPS.
Taps, sometimes called octopus plugs, allow you to plug more than one cord into a single
receptacle. You can buy several types, but all are designed for temporary use.
Taps can cause trouble in two ways:
* They make it easier to overload the circuit and cause a circuit breaker to shut off or a fuse to
burn out at your main electrical panel. If an overload occurs, move some of your pluggedin
appliances to other circuits.
* They often wear out and result in poor connections. Poor connections cause the receptacle
to heat up, eventually ruining the electrical contacts and causing the electrical wires to harden
and become brittle. This is a fire hazard!
The best solution: Provide enough wallmounted receptacles for your plugin appliances. For
instance, install a larger electrical box in the wall and convert a duplex receptacle to
double duplex (Photo 1). (See March '95, p. 72, or March '93, p. 66, for details.) A pro would
charge about $65 for this service.
REPLACE BROKEN LIGHT FIXTURES.

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DO IT THIS WAY
I don't know how many times I've twisted a light bulb in the attic on and off because the switch
on the fixture was broken. And burned my fingers in the process. I should have replaced the
$2 fixture long ago.
Installation notes: First, observe box size rules referred to at the bottom of the page. Second,
if the new fixture requires high temperature wire, confirm with a professional electrician or
your electrical inspector that your existing wiring meets the requirement. If it doesn't, you must
replace the wiring.
AVOID USING ADAPTER PLUGS
Adapter plugs allow you to plug a threeprong plug into an oldfashioned twoprong
receptacle, but in doing so you bypass a safety feature. That third prong represents the
ground wire in the cord, which helps to protect you from lethal shocks. And the screw on the
cover plate is rarely a substitute ground.
It's usually difficult to add a ground wire to an existing receptacle, but there's a simple, safe
alternative: Replace the twoprong receptacle with
GFCI receptacle ($10). The GFCI provides shock protection even without the ground wire.
(Note: Some computers may not boot without a ground wire.)
Installation note: The 1990 National Electrical Code increased the requirements for the size
of the electrical box in the wall. When upgrading, make sure the electrical box size meets
these requirements. (See March '93, p. 66, for details.)
SET RECEPTACLES AND SWITCHES FLUSH WITH THE WALL
Every home has probably had a receptacle that's set too deep in the wall, so that the cover
plate finally cracks when plugging in the vacuum cleaner. However, it's easy to space them
out properly with small steel washers (Photo 5). But follow these rules: If the wall material is
nonflammable (drywall, plaster, concrete), the edge of the electrical box itself must be no
more than 1/4 in. behind the surface of the wall. In flammable material (wood, hardboard, etc.)
the box must be flush with the wall surface.
If the electrical box doesn't meet these requirements, either readjust the box or add an
extension ring (Photo 6). (Photos omitted)
HAND DIG WHERE UNDERGROUND WIRE MIGHT BE PRESENT
Utility companies remind you to call them before you dig in your yard, especially when using
power augers or other power equipment. They don't want you to accidentally hit any electrical,
gas or water service lines. However, they aren't responsible for underground electrical lines
that serve detached garages or other parts of your yard. These lines used to be at least 12 in.
below ground (18 in. is now required by the National Electrical Code), but don't assume
they're always that deep. Landscaping changes could have made them shallower.
To find these lines, locate the spot where they leave the house and where they arrive at the
remote location. The cable usually runs in a straight line between the two points. (Trenching is
hard work, so electricians usually take the shortest route!) If you're lucky, you'll find a shallow
depression where the ground has settled after the trench was refilled.
In any case, if you suspect an electrical line nearby, turn off power at the main panel and dig
carefully with
shovel (no power equipment). If you cut through the insulation on a cable, hire a licensed
electrician to fix it before turning the power on.

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