Is it Alright to be afraid of electricity?

Question

the reason i'm asking people this is because i saw a electrical fire a few years ago and since then i've always been afraid of electrical fires and how it can cause so much damage to a home or apartment. I know my house runs good electricity even though i've had a circuit breaker trip last summer but can anyone help me on this one.

Answer 1

Well, to be afraid of it - not really. But you should have a healthy Respect for Electricity.

Electricity is our friend. Without it, where would we be - where would our society be today? Back in the Dark Ages?

When you saw an Electrical Fire a few years ago, it was basically a Fire. And as for Electricity, you should always have a healthy Respect for Fire.

That's the key - RESPECT. Know it, respect it.

It wasn't electricity that caused the fire.

It was someone's mistake that caused the fire.

A mistake in the wiring somewhere.
A mistake in overloading the system.
A mistake in the manufacture of the circuit breaker.
A mistake in the circuit board.
A mistake in the fuse board.
A mistake in the fuse.
A mistake in putting in the correct fuse.

A mistake, plain and simple.


Now when your circuit breaker tripped last summer - do you know what happened?

Did you overload that particular circuit? A circuit breaker is usually rated to hold up to a certain amount of wattage. If it senses that the power going through that circuit is too high, the circuit it tripped. It's a safety precaution.

Now, a circuit breaker usually controls a group of electical outlets and/or lights in your home.

So, did you plug in too many items in a certain area of your home?

Did you have too many high wattage items running at the same time when it tripped? For example, if you were in your bathroom and you had your Curling Iron, your Hair Dryer, your shaver, your waterpic, and your spouse had his razor, waterpic, and hair dryer - and these all happened to be on at the same time - If those are all on the same circuit, they'd probably blow that breaker.

Again, it's a SAFETY thing.

If it didn't trip - the wires in that particular circuit would begin to heat up. They'd get hotter and hotter. And yes, they could sometimes start a fire.

But you could also start a fire on your electric stove. Would you call that an electric fire?

Or you put your electric heater too close to your bed and it ignited your blanket - is that an electric fire?

Do you see - it's not the electricity you have to be afraid of - it's mistakes you need to be afraid of, right?

I'm sure you were always told not to overload electrical outlets, right?

But some people forget that, why I don't know.

So remember what you were taught when you were young - and respect electricity -

1. Don't touch any live wires.

2. If you see a downed wire - don't touch it - you may not know if it's live or not.

3. If you see someone down on the ground, twitching and a possible live wire touching them - grab a wooden object and try to move the live wire away from them - only then you should try to help that downed person. But call 911 before all this!

4. Don't plug lots of plugs into one outlet.

You know the drill -

Respect Electricity - because without it - where would we be - where would you be? Think about it. Quiz tomorrow at 10.

Ken

Answer 2

I've always been deadly afraid of electricity, I constantly check things, have GFI outlets everywhere, I even purchased special GFI outlets and extension cords from some company in Florida because they trip the circuit faster that regular GFI. I feel outlets for heat, Never overload outlets, or run extension cords under carpets or tack them with staples or nails. I don't use plug ins because of their fire hazard as per our fire dept. I'm married to a firefighter so I'm even more cautious. It's better to be safe than sorry, but unfortunately fires happen in both old and even brand new homes.

Answer 3

My husband and my son are electricians and they have a very healthy respect for electricity. I think that you should have your wiring checked out by a licensed electrician to put your mind at ease, especially if you've had circuits trip. If they find something wrong then it can be taken care of before it becomes a problem.
Fire is very scary but if you do what you can to prevent them then you should rest easier.
I wish you well.

Answer 4

Everyone should maintain a healthy respect for electricity, fire, automobiles, and all the other energy conveniences we utilize today. Remember, we "harnessed" these energies only. Not properly maintained and used, they become potential killers. Your fear of electricity should be the same as of automobiles. We use them safely, or else. Ensure yourself of your home`s safety. Get a professional`s opinion, if necessary. This should help alleviate your fears. Learn more of electricity and how it works, and you will be more confident in your control and usage of it.

Answer 5

I have worked with electricity for many years and it still scares the hell out of me. there are many hazards with electricity and it can create dramatic light and sound shows when it gets loose and out of control, always respect it. Leave it to the professionals, if you have a problem call an electrician.

Answer 6

Healthy respect!

Answer 7

its ok to be wary up to the point where the fear becomes bigger than the original danger.