Recommended Electrical safety features when building or renovating.

When installing new electrics or updating the old, here are the top 5 safety features to consider.

​There are three stages to household electrical safety: the first protects people, the second protects the home itself and the third protects your appliances.

1. Safety switch
The safety switch is geared at protecting you and your family.

Safety switches are installed on your switchboard to prevent current leakage. When it detects a leak, it shuts down the electrical stream.

An example of an electrical leak would be accidentally cutting a power cable while working with a power saw. As soon as the saw makes contact with the wire, the safety switch can identify the difference in the power flow and shut everything down before you are electrocuted.

As of 2018, these safety switches are mandatory in all new builds or substantial renovations but If your home was built before 2018, it may be time to give Mellor Electrical Group a call.

2. Photoelectric smoke alarm
Smoke alarms must be interconnected and installed between each sleeping area and the rest of your home. If you live in a house with more than one level, there must be one on each level. The CFA recommends that smoke alarms be installed in every living area and bedroom.

Smouldering fires are the most the common and, because you lose your sense of smell while sleeping, early warning of a smouldering fire will wake you up and give you more time to escape. Photoelectric smoke alarms are more reliable in detecting particles of smoke, thus alerting you before the fire even starts flaming. Other types of smoke alarms may not be able to detect smouldering fires as quickly.

3. Surge protection
We can’t predict power surges, which is why we need reliable protection when they happen. Most households use surge-protecting power boards, but this doesn’t cover everything.

Appliances such as TVs, washing machines and fridges are all are getting smarter every day, which means they have more electronics built into them. Most people plug their TV into a board with surge protection but overlook the fridge or washing machine. Even if they do, protection is limited.

Meanwhile, a single surge protection device fitted to your switchboard will effectively protect all of your devices in the event of a surge.

4. Arc Fault Detection Device
Arc Faults are one of the main causes of electrical fires and are surprisingly common in older buildings where damage to cables can occur as they deteriorate due to age, or rodents start chewing on them.

Arc Faults can be difficult to see because they usually occur in hidden places such as a loose connection in a junction box, within damaged cables or inside outlet sockets.
An Arc Fault Detection Device (AFDD), also known as Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter, can help to isolate the faulty circuit as soon as the Arc fault is detected. They fit in your switchboard and continuously look for signs of arc faults that may be happening.

5. Indoor and outdoor sensor lights
Both indoor and outdoor sensor lights can help protect your home, as well as its inhabitants.

Indoor sensor lighting is a simple step towards better safety at home. For instance, if anyone gets up in the night to go to the bathroom, a sensor light plugged into the wall is triggered by movement. This way, you don’t have to fumble for light switches or wake people up with bright lighting.

Well-lit homes tend to deter intruders, which is why many opt for outdoor security lighting that is triggered to automatically turn on as the sun goes down.

Because these devices turn lights on and off via motion detection or as the sun sets or rises, you don’t need to leave them on all night or day when going away on holidays, for example.

To learn more about Mellor Electrical Group and the services we provide, go to https://melloreg.com.au/ for call 1300 MELLOR (635 567)