House fires: Think twice before you blame faulty wiring

MANILA, Philippines - In the summer months, any type of home is again at a high risk of house fires. During these times, it is almost every day that people hear a house, a building and sometimes a whole community burned down to nothing.

Un-maintained and tampered electrical wiring tops the list of fire-related incidents in populated urban areas, which puts the blame on inefficient wiring and disparage the work of electrical engineers. But often the fault lies more with the mismanagement of electrical wiring by consumers through their own negligence and poor planning when they interact with energy.

Electrical wiring, if and when done by licensed professionals, is safe, secure and tucked away from potential fire hazards. It is when the electrical system is abused, misused and overused that it becomes hazardous and can set off a dangerous chain reaction that leads to expensive damage to the home.

• Misconception # 1: My devices overload because of faulty wiring.

Overloading or plugging in too many devices in a single socket is the most common way of abusing and damaging electrical wires. Wires can deliver only a certain amount of energy, depending on its size. When you plug in several devices to one socket, these wires are now forced to transmit electricity to all these devices beyond its capacity.

The surge feeds devices more energy than they need and causes an overload — sockets burn out or plugs heat up and melt — resulting in small fires that could spread throughout the house.

This reaction is not because of faulty wiring, but because by plugging in one too many devices, you force the electrical wires to work harder than designed. This is a common problem especially in small neighborhoods where houses do not have enough sockets to plug in all the residents’ electronics. Residents tend to overload their one power source, which can start a spark, then fire.

To prevent such accidents, households must refrain from plugging in too many devices in a single socket. Using octopus extension cords can be risky too if there is no protection from power surges. Investing in surge protectors designed to protect devices from overheating is also another solution as it can detect unsafe levels of energy and automatically shut down or cut off the power supply to prevent an overload.

• Misconception # 2: Bad wires do not supply my electronics with enough power.

Electricity flows in and out the home at a constant voltage and if properly installed, electrical wires are able to transmit a steady supply of power. Excess or inadequate supply, on the other hand, can cause damage to appliances and electronics.

Fluctuations, however, are not caused by inadequate wiring but from sudden spikes and falls in power brought on by unexpected blackouts and thunderstorms. These uncontrolled conditions, which disrupt the energy supply, cause plugged-in devices to erratically compensate for the loss and gain, thus causing internal damage to electronics and appliances that lead to short-circuiting or worse, fire.

People can protect their investments from such situations using an automatic voltage regulator (AVR). This monitors and regulates the input and output of energy of devices and is capable of distributing the correct amount of energy needed by different appliances and electronics. It also provides protection from both power surges and energy fluctuations by providing a reserve amount of energy needed for safe shutdown. 

• Misconception # 3: Defective wires damage my devices.

Whenever they can, people buy expensive electronics and the latest appliances to upgrade their homes. They strive to make their household more comfortable and convenient with technology. So when these pricey investments fail and cause accidents, they often immediately blame the damage on the electrical wiring.

This is another example where the fault lies with one’s own actions and poor planning. Devices suffer damage because people don’t understand that as they upgrade these, these will require more power to operate — but the capacity of electrical wires to deliver energy remains the same. 

Such mistakes and accidents are easily avoidable and can always be prevented. People must be mindful of the technology that is added to their homes and if the electrical system is capable of supplying enough power. Ask retailers what the operational requirements of the devices are and if necessary, install safety mechanisms like circuit breakers that can protect your home.

Circuit breakers will be able to monitor and protect your home from sudden spikes and surges and shut down the supply before additional damage can occur. The simplest way of ensuring the safety of your family is to be mindful of the technology you bring in to your home.

By understanding how your household’s electrical system works and the power requirements of appliances and electronics, you can easily prevent inefficient energy consumption and avoid potential fire hazards. For more information on residential electrical systems and solutions, visit www.schneider-electric.com.