Electricity in the Modern Home

Avoid Electrical Hazards

Extension cords and surge protectors are two commonly misused electrical devices. Extension cords are intended for temporary use only, and must be used as rated. Holt takes an even more conservative approach, warning that “Extension cords should not be used in the home.” If you require an extension cord inside, you're better off installing another receptacle. Also, extension cords should never be used to extend the range of a surge protector,  and surge protectors should not be linked to one another or overloaded.

The use and installation of generators has become a hot topic in the electrical community. Improper installation of a generator can lead to serious dangers in the home, to neighbors, and to utility workers addressing an outage. “Too many people are plugging their generators right into the panel without a transfer switch,” says Brenner. This can result in dangerous surges to houses on the grid, or fatal injury to workers restoring power.

Before doing any digging outside the home, homeowners should call “811.” This free national number connects the homeowner to professionals who will come to the home and mark the buried utility lines, preventing potentially fatal hazards.

Undertaking a project involving the home's electrical system should not be taken lightly, and homeowners should hire a licensed electrician to handle maintenance or upgrades. “Working on the electrical system is a lot more dangerous than it appears,” Holt says. “Misconnecting one wire can result in death. It's just not worth the risk.”