When you’re at home doing chores, appliances are your best buddies. Whether you’re cooking supper, cleaning up, or doing laundry, your refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, washer, and dryer are at your side, allowing you to complete your household tasks with ease.
The Foundations of Home Appliance Safety
Appliances are more than just passive aides who help you with your domestic chores. They are electric-powered machines. They generally function well, but they can be hazardous if not properly maintained or handled.
The most serious threat associated with appliances is fire, which is not something people want to risk. Fires spread swiftly and unpredictably, with the potential to cause serious injury, property damage, or even death. It is critical to be aware of the correct safety precautions when utilizing equipment.
There are general rules everyone should follow when dealing with electric appliances and gadgets:
- Watch the water: Don’t use or store your appliances in an area that is wet. Avoid sinks, for example, and stay away from basements and garages, since water tends to collect there.
- Don’t force plugs: Don’t force electrical plugs into outlets not designed to accommodate them. If you have a three-pronged plug, fit it into a three-hole outlet.
- Avoid shocks: If one of your appliances shocks you or sparks when you use it or unplug it, replace it immediately or have it repaired. Sparks and shocks indicate a dangerous electrical issue.
- Cord common sense: Be careful when using extension cords. If they are frayed or cracked, throw them away. For major appliances, use only heavy-duty extension cords that are designed to handle the high amperage. Extension cords should never feel hot to the touch.
- Check and double-check: Check your wiring regularly, looking for outlets that don’t work, lights that flicker, and switches that are hot to the touch. If you find any, have an electrician take a look.
- Wiring watch: Don’t use extension cords as permanent wiring. Instead, explore the option of having a professional electrician add extra outlets or circuits.
- Heavy duty: For extra safety, consider buying a laboratory-tested extension cord with built-in circuit breakers that shut down when it is overloaded.
Cook with care
- Free and clear: Remove anything combustible, such as grease or oil, from the cooktop right away. Avoid storing combustible things like oven mitts or aprons near the stovetop.
- Dress correctly for the occasion: push up long sleeves and tuck in shirttails to prevent your clothing from catching fire while cooking. Wearing shoes is also a good idea in case you spill hot liquid by accident.
- Keep an eye: on the stove while cooking to ensure that nothing spills or catches fire. Make sure the pot handles are turned inward so no one bumps them.
- Stop spraying: Even if some food products are available in aerosol form, never spray an aerosol near an open flame, as this may result in a fire.
Prevent a Dryer Fire
- Turn to a pro: To ensure it’s done right, have a professional install and service your dryer.
- Trap it: Don’t use the dryer without the lint filter in place. Empty it after each use so that flammable lint isn’t left in the dryer. Also, clean the lint from the drum regularly.
- Exhausted: Check the vent pipe that leads from the dryer to the outside. Ensure that the vent flap isn’t blocked and opens all the way when the dryer is operating. Clean lint from the vent pipe annually.
- Check connection lines: If you have a gas dryer, make sure the gas line and connection are intact and have no leaks.
- Be selective: Don’t use the dryer to dry items that have been in contact with flammable substances, such as paint thinner, cooking oil, gasoline, or alcohol.
- Take the night off: Don’t leave the dryer running when you leave the house or go to bed at night. You don’t want a fire to break out and spread.
Microwave Monitoring
Microwave ovens aren’t normally considered major appliances on par with a stove or refrigerator. Nonetheless, they are used for cooking, and there are certain hazards present. Here are a few tips to prevent microwave-related accidents:
- Close the door: Don’t operate a microwave if the door is damaged or warped and won’t close properly.
- Not too hot: Don’t overheat liquids. If they super-heat and erupt, you could be burned.
- Heavy metal: Don’t use metal utensils, pans, or aluminum foil in the microwave because they will cause power arcs with the potential to cause a fire.
This list may seem like an overabundance of rules, and some of them may seem silly. However, they are based on the unfortunate experiences of others who hope you can learn from their mistakes with your own home appliances. Stay safe!
Want to learn more? Visit our Home and Personal Safety resource centre to find more information about protecting your family and your home. Or, get an online quote in under 5 minutes and find out how affordable personalized home insurance can be.
