Many Aussies will be taking off on their holidays during the summer months, particularly now that the kids are finished at school for the year. Whilst everyone is focussed on their trip, it’s also a good idea to spend some time thinking about the safety of your home while you are away.
More specifically, the electrical safety of your home is very important. That’s because no-one wants to be at the end of a phone call telling them that their home has burnt down to the ground due to an electrical fire while they are on holiday. So how can you make sure that your home is electrically safe while you are away on holiday?
Install smoke alarms.
Installing smoke alarms in your home is crucial for the safety of your household, even if you are not going away any time soon. You can choose between battery operated devices and those that are hard wired into the electricity supply. In fact, the best option is to select a smoke alarm that operates on both batteries and is hard wired, because if the power is cut while you are away then the smoke alarm continues to operate using the batteries. On the other hand, if the batteries run out of power, then the smoke alarms continues operating as they are hard wired into your power supply. Whether your smoke alarms are newly installed or not, always test them to make sure that they are working correctly before you leave for the holidays (and change the batteries). There are even some advanced smart detectors that will send notifications to your phone, giving you the ultimate peace of mind.
Unplug all your electrical appliances.
It’s important that you not only switch off all non-essential appliances when you go away on holiday, but also unplug them from the wall. That’s because even if your appliances are switched off, if they are still plugged into the power, they will continue drawing a very small amount of energy that could still result in a fire. Obviously, you won’t want to unplug a fridge or freezer when you go on holiday, but make sure that there is a working smoke alarm in the vicinity, just in case. Then just before you lock up your home, do a final check to make sure that nothing has been left plugged in or switched on by another family member.
Check your fridge and freezer before going on holiday.
If you are going to leave your fridge and freezer plugged in when you go on holiday, it’s important that they are checked by a qualified electrician who can ensure they are safe. You might also decide to leave the TV on standby so that you can record your favourite programs while on holiday, and if you do, then get the TV checked as well.
Should you use timers for the lights while on holiday?
Even though we have said that you shouldn’t leave unnecessary appliances plugged into the power, leaving your home’s lights on a timer is a good idea for safety reasons. That’s because when your lights go on and off at regular times it makes people believe that you are still at home and the property isn’t vacant. Your local electrician can check your home’s electrical wiring and your timers to ensure that it’s all up to code and safe for you to go on holiday.
If you are going on holiday soon, call MBE Electrical Services on 1300 862 796 for a home energy safety audit.
