Why the Growth of Electricity Use Has Created New Risks and Why This Means Safety First

July 16 04:32 2019
Electricity is fueling heating more than ever before, with current estimates pointing to the value of the global electric heating market reaching $12208.8 million by 2025.

The growing demand and expectation over clean energy has made electricity an increasingly central part of powering homes, businesses and vehicles. In the home, electricity is fuelling heating more than ever before, with current estimates pointing to the value of the global electric heating market reaching $12208.8 million by 2025.

As with all forms of heating, there are safety risks if electrical systems are not properly maintained. In 2014, the US Fire Administration found that electrical fires were responsible for 6.3% of all residential fires – and 11% of all fires where someone died.

Common causes of electrical fires include faulty wiring – a particular problem in properties that are over 20 years old, as they may lack the suitable wiring to withstand today’s increased level of gaming, computing and other demand from new devices – and frayed or misplaced cords, which can transfer heat to ignitable materials such as curtains, rugs and carpets.

“Dealing with issues related to older properties is something we see regularly in our line of work,” says a spokesperson for CSG Electric. “For example, many are built with fuse panels to control their electrical systems, rather than the safer and more beneficial breaker box.

“Breaker boxes are the modern method of regulating a building’s electrical supply and are proven to be more energy efficient, also removing the need to repeatedly change fuses – the chances of an electrical fire are also reduced considerably.

“Other age-related problems we deal with stem from the use of aluminium wiring in older houses. This is not particularly unsafe but many home insurance companies are notoriously reticent to provide cover to homes that have this type of wiring. Problems with aluminium wiring become obvious if lights start flickering, there is a burning plastic smell from switches, or sparks and smoke start to come out of power outlets.”

A report from the United Kingdom in 2016 revealed more about the scale of the problem facing homeowners with older properties. It found that around 67% of the 2.4 million property sales from 2014-2016 had not seen a specialist survey carried out on a home’s electrics – with homebuyers mistakenly believing that a standard property survey would pick up any electrical issues.

Another report raises concerns over the regularity of rewiring a house – it says that while a house that hasn’t been rewired for 25-30 years might not necessarily require it, it is always best to have an electrician check.

“It needs no explanation about how dangerous electricity is, and why it should only be attended to by a licensed professional,” adds the spokesperson. “Commercial properties must meet stringent electricity standards in many jurisdictions, and it takes a team of experienced specialist electricians to carry out these inspections to the right standard.”

About CSG Electric

Based in Toronto, CSG Electric is a specialist team of qualified electricians that carries out a range of repairs, upgrades and installations in residential and commercial properties. They can also carry out inspections of commercial buildings to ensure they meet official safety standards. CSG Electric is open to small and large jobs and also has an online shop with electrical products including wiring devices, LED lights and smoke alarms: https://csgelectric.ca/shop/

Media Contact
Company Name: CSG Electric
Contact Person: Media Relations
Email: Send Email
Phone: 416-893-9205
Address:644 Petrolia Road
City: Toronto
State: Ontario M3J 2W3
Country: Canada
Website: https://csgelectric.ca/

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