Properties worth millions of dollars are lost due to simple electric faults that can be avoided. It is highly recommendable to purchase and install safety products in your home or property to avoid such incidents. Here is some of most essential personal safety products that you need to have at home.
Smoke Alarms
As the name suggests, smoke alarms are special detectors that are tailored to detect smoke in the atmosphere and alert you. Since their inception, they have helped to curtail numerous fire incidents in both urban and residential areas. Your home should have at least one smoke alarm. It should also be tested once or twice per week to be sure that that is if fully functional. For instance, the battery should be changed on the scheduled date even if it has been lying dormant for a long period.
Surge Protector
Unprecedented power surge can damage your electronics. Luckily, advancement in technology has made it possible for manufacturing companies to make superior power surges protectors that are more reliable and effective than the traditional models. Invest in one of them and hire a professional to install it to get utmost value for your money.
Safety Plugs
This is one of the most important personal safety products that you should have at home if you have children around. They help to prevent children from pushing items such as toys and sharp nails into power sockets. The safety plugs should cover the power socket completely. Just as the smoke alarm and surge protector, make sure that the plugs are installed as per the specific instructions provided by the manufacturer.
Safety Switch
This is also referred to as a Residual Current Device (RCD) and it is engineered to interrupt flow of power to an electrical circuit in case of an electrical leakage. The best have the ability to cut power to the circuit in 0.03 seconds or less. The switch has an advanced working mechanism that detects leakage as soon as it occurs thereby protecting one from shocks.
It is also important to note that there is a different between a safety switch and a circuit breaker. The latter is designed to prevent electrical overload and short circuits. Well, it can help prevent electrical related accidents, but they are not as effective in protecting you from electrocution as safety switches. Below is a brief description of the various types of safety switches.
Meter Box Mounted: It is mounted adjacent to the circuit breakers either in the distribution board or to circuit breaker.
Portable Safety Switches: They can be connected to the extension lead or power board to protect the specific appliances that are connected to them. They are ideal when using electrical appliances outdoors.
