The Importance of Electrical Safety

You may have experienced it several times – you plug in an appliance and the outlet produces a blue spark. However, since there is no evident damage to the outlet, you dismiss the spark as nothing. The truth is, outlet sparks are sometimes normal, and there is no cause for alarm. However, at times, they can be dangerous, and if ignored, they can cause electrical hazards in the home. Dangerous sparks are usually white or yellow in colour and they linger for a few seconds before disappearing. Understanding their causes can help you protect electrical appliances and maintain electrical safety in your home.

Below are some of the reasons why your outlets are sparking and what you can do about the problem.

There is a short circuit

One of the common causes of dangerous sparks in the home is a short circuit. This occurs when the live wire on the outlet is touching the neutral or earth wire. This contact causes the socket to draw excessive current. It gets hot and produces a yellow or white spark. A short circuit is dangerous as it can cause damage to electrical appliances that are plugged into the outlet. In other instances, it can also cause an electrical fire in the house. If you notice a spark on your socket, unplug the equipment and look for any signs of damage or a burning smell. If any, switch off the outlet and call an electrician.

You have overloaded the circuit

The circuits in your home have a limited capacity to handle electrical appliances at a time. So, if you plug in devices that draw a lot of current at the same time, they will cause the circuit to draw more electricity than it is designed to handle. As a result, the excessive current may cause sparking in the outlet. Avoid this by ensuring that you don't plug many devices into one outlet even when using a power strip. Instead, distribute the devices across various circuits in the home. Also, don't use kitchen appliances such as your blender, kettle, and coffee maker at the same time as they will cause a short circuit.

You have old outlets

If you haven't replaced your electrical outlets for decades, you shouldn't be surprised if they spark once in a while. The points of contact in old outlets may wear out over time, and this may cause the wires to come into contact with each other. If this happens, an electrical spark will occur. You can avoid this and save your equipment from damage by upgrading your outlets and breaker panel to the latest models which have better performance and safety features.

Contact electrical contractors for a thorough inspection of the home's electrical system so that they can identify the cause of sparks in your outlets.