Save your house. Check for these common faults in the electrics before it’s too late.
Cornubia electrician Stuart Helmreich says there are a number of common danger signs he sees in houses with too much regularity.
Cracked power points
Sometimes the switch on a power point will sit out on an angle or will switch off or on in an unusual direction.
“Maybe the corner will stick out,” Mr Helmreich says.
“You might find you’re getting zapped. It’s especially dangerous in bathrooms where it gets wet.”
Sometimes the switch can fall out.
Safety switches
Be sure to check your safety switches on surge boards regularly.
To do this, press the button which says “test”. If your surge board is still okay, the power should be cut immediately.
Smoke alarms
The next time you have to change a battery on your smoke alarm, make sure it says “photoelectric”.
If it says “ionisation”, it’s too old and needs to be thrown out.
Also check the date on your smoke alarm. If it’s more than 10 years old, it’s past its used by date.
Damaged cables
If cables on an appliance are damaged, throw out the appliance.
Mr Helmreich says it’s probably worth trying to fix cables on any appliances worth more than $500. If the appliance is worth less than that, it’s probably cheaper to buy a new appliance.
Air conditioning
Mr Helmreich says it’s important to have air conditioning serviced every 6-12 months because indoor units can build up mould which is bad for your health.
“We wash them out with heavy duty cleaning solutions,” he says.
Ducted air conditioners do have their own cleaning mechanisms, but they still need to be serviced.
This is particularly so if those in the house are sensitive to allergies.
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