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Kitchens are busy areas of the home that can be prime locations for accidents and electrical hazards. With various small and large appliances in use alongside potential water and food waste, electrical safety in the kitchen is highly important. To help you stay safe while cooking or entertaining in your kitchen, the team at Elextric has compiled a list of crucial tips for kitchen electrical safety. As providers of complete residential electrical services, we can help you enjoy your home and minimize the risk of electrical hazards.
How to Avoid Electrical Hazards in the Kitchen
As a busy areas, kitchens can be prone to messes and accidents that increase electrical hazards. By practising the following tips, you can minimize the risk of electrical issues and injury:
1. Keep Your Kitchen Dry and Clean
Cooking food and cleaning dishes can result in excess crumbs, food waste, and moisture on countertops or near outlets. These materials should be kept away from outlets at all times. If water or food waste enters an outlet, it can cause electrical shock, damage to appliances, and broken outlets. As a precaution, it is a good idea to insert a cover into any outlet that is rarely or never used. This will protect them from splashes of water, spills, and food waste such as crumbs.
2. Do Not Overload Your Outlets
As a general rule of thumb, only one appliance should be plugged into each outlet. Refrigerators, freezers, microwaves, and ovens all require a large amount of power to run them. This requirement tends to place a lot of stress on circuits. Plugging another appliance into an occupied outlet can lead to tripping the breaker and may even cause permanent damage to your appliances. If your current outlet layout or amount does not work for your needs, our team can work with you to install more or optimize your existing setup.
3. Ensure Cables are not too Close to the Heat
Space can quickly disappear in the kitchen while preparing a meal or cleaning dishes. You may end up using a blender or mixer close to your stovetop, which can expose their power cords to extreme heat. If power cords are damaged by heat or start to melt, this can result in an electrical fire or electrocution when plugging the appliance in. All power cables must be kept away from extreme heat to ensure that the protective layer stays in optimal condition. It is also a good idea to ensure enough room behind your freezer or refrigerator for proper air circulation. If there is not enough room, it can become exceedingly hot behind these units and cause damage to the power cords.
