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Is your home at risk for electrical fire?
McCOOK, Nebraska -- Since the early part of 2012 area residents have been bombarded with public service announcements, warnings and even burn restrictions focused on preventing wildfires, during a year that has seen 14 new record high temperature days. While the cautions are more than justifiable, another fire hazard, one less attributable to the extreme heat, may be getting overlooked.
McCook firefighter/paramedic Mark Eiler shared his concerns with the Gazette this week, after responding to a home fire recently that was likely caused by a practice that may be becoming more and more common.
Eiler explained that the fire began in the bedroom of a home wired with knob and tube wiring. Although knob and tube wiring is a dated means of supplying electricity to a home, this incident was the result of the resident having plugged a window air-conditioner into an adapter. The adapter reduced the unit's outlet from a three prong to two prong plug, so that it could be powered via an older, ungrounded two prong outlet.
The adapter itself was not designed to carry the electrical load of the window air-conditioner and eventually became so hot that it melted and caught a wooden dresser that had been pushed up against it on fire.
"You have be very cautious when using adapters like that. TVs, DVD players and other common household items typically don't require much of an electrical load and are usually safe for use with those types of adapters, but anytime you are powering something that has a motor, like an air-conditioner, you are pulling a lot more electricity," said Eiler.
Knob and tube wiring, a method of electric wiring in common use until the 1930s and still found in many older McCook homes, is often blamed in post-fire investigations. Eiler said that may be too much of a simplification in many scenarios and references the importance of residents being knowledgeable about their electrical system and very aware of the pressures they put on it.
"There isn't anything wrong with knob and tube wiring if you're using it properly, we used it safely for a very long time, but the technology certainly wasn't designed to carry the loads we're putting on them now," said Eiler.
Kim Parde, owner of Parde Electric in McCook, echoed Eilers concerns pertaining to motored appliances and said many kitchen appliances also pull high amounts of amps. Parde said that while knob and tube wiring was simply the worst wiring in use today, he was more concerned with aged outlet receptacles than the wiring itself.
Parde explained that the older outlets worked off of a spring contact which required holding items plugged into them tightly. As they aged the connection loosened and could lead to heat building up in the receptacle itself, which could eventually melt down and lead to a fire.
Parde also urged residents to be cautious with their use of extension cords. "There are a ton of low quality ones on the market right now and many people just grab the cheapest one they see," said Parde, adding that he had seen a statistical study recently that illustrated a shockingly high percentage of home fires started by extension cords.
The biggest warning sign pertaining to improper use of an extension cord is the presence of heat, according to Parde. "The cord should not be hot to the touch, or warm at all. If it is you either have an undersized extension cord or the receptacle it is plugged into needs to be checked," said Parde.
Parde said that surge protectors, such as many computer systems use, were the best case scenario when plugging multiple items into an outlet, however he warned against using adapters that allowed you to bypass their third grounding prong. Surge protectors have been known to wear out over time and Parde explained that by bypassing or removing the grounding prong, in addition to voiding the manufacturers warranty, you were eliminating your own safety.
Parde encouraged residents to replace older outlets and said many electricians, including Parde Electric, offered free estimates and basic electrical inspections to residents in the McCook area.
Fire hazard scenarios that developed over time, such as the older outlets Parde cautioned about, were something Eiler referred to repeatedly during his discussion with the Gazette. Eiler said that usually homeowners were completely surprised that a fire had broken out, not realizing that it wasn't as spontaneous as it seemed and usually was a process that had begun many years prior.
Eiler gave examples of wiring overheating, some caused by the wrong type of metal wiring being installed by unqualified individuals, or the improper addition of outlets, but many times it was as simple as plugging too many items into an outlet.
"Over time, the heat from the wiring can change nearby wood framing into what you would describe as a charcoal briquette. It eventually gets it to a point where it very easily starts on fire. In many instances the scenario started 10 years prior but wasn't in a visible area," said Eiler.
Combining clutter and paper products with active extension cords is another common cause of fires, which Eiler said can very quickly turn several otherwise safe products into a fire catalyst. Eiler described a home that was undergoing a renovation project when an excessive amount of extension cord, being used with a heat gun, was left at the end of a day wrapped up in various clutter and old wallpaper. The ensuing fire resulted in the total loss of the structure.
"The extension cord basically became a heat cord and it's not that uncommon of a scenario. We had a similar fire start simply because the home owner placed their deep freeze on top of its own electrical cord. During a high use time the cord ended up starting a fire under the deep freeze," said Eiler.
Another cause of home fires in older homes is the use of a wrong size fuse. Steve Lyne, owner of Steve's Electric, said it was very common for homeowners to blow a 20 amp fuse and think they could replace it with a 30 amp fuse.
"The problem is the wiring is only rated for whatever amp fuse it was installed for. If you replace a 15 amp fuse with a 30 amp fuse, it will send 30 amps through the 15 amp wire, which in turn overheats," said Lyne.
Lyne said the fuses were easily identifiable by color (30 amps are green, 20 amps are orange and 15 amps are yellow), but if a homeowner is concerned a fuse was previously installed improperly they should call an electrician.
"If you blow a fuse, it happens for a reason," said Lyne, encouraging residents to find out what their breaker box is trying to tell them and avoid a potential fire.
Both the fire department and local electricians agree that homes wired with older electrical systems can be utilized safely, but urge residents to be aware of their home's electrical system and err on the side of caution with how much pressure they put on it.
Parde reminded residents that older electrical systems weren't meant for today's load, "It was installed when electricity was really only needed for a radio and a few lamps."
Eiler encouraged residents to:
* Inspect their home, room by room, and identify and eliminate hotspots where outlets may be tasked with too much.
* Give outlets and appliances room to breath and vent any heat they may create.
* Avoid pushing dressers and other wooden furniture up against outlets and be aware of what electrical cords come in contact with.
* Do not use outlet adapters or splitters and unplug extension cords when not in use.
* Owners manuals can provide useful information and cautions pertaining to household items and their use.
* If uncertain about something or simply unfamiliar with your electrical system, call an electrician. Basic safety inspections are quick and commonly free or very affordable.