By Kellie Pearson
Pack away sweaters and scarfs and break out the floaties and flip flops – summer is here! Whether your ideal seasonal activity is tanning poolside or spiking a volleyball along a sandy seashore, there’s no doubt summertime offers a lot of fun. However, it can present many safety concerns for homeowners. Here are a few reminders from Mr. Electric® to give you and your family peace of mind this summer.
Prepare for an Emergency
With the summer sun shining bright, the warm, moist air provides optimal fuel for hurricanes to form. Are you and your family prepared? In the case of a power outage, you’ll want to have a generator handy. If you’re unsure of the amount of power that will be needed for a generator in your home, ask Mr. Electric to determine that for you. If your house draws more power than the generator can produce, then you may blow a fuse on the generator or damage the connected equipment. A generator should only be operated outdoors in an area with unobstructed air flow and ventilation. Even if the garage door is open to the exterior, carbon monoxide can still build up to toxic levels. Placing carbon monoxide detectors near all the bedrooms of your home will alert you and your family when there is a risk of being poisoned.
Plan for a Power Surge
Because of extreme heat and electrical charge in the air, lighting storms are also common during this season. In the case of a power surge, a good preventive option is to install a whole home surge protection system if you want to protect devices plugged into outlets anywhere in the home.
Test your Smoke Alarms
Fun events like rocking out by bonfires and shooting off Fourth of July fireworks present great opportunity to remind ourselves of fire safety. When is the last time you tested the smoke alarms in your house? This should be done monthly, and the batteries should be changed yearly (except for lithium batteries). Educate yourself on the two different kinds of alarms, and determine which is best featured for your home. USFA every residence be equipped with both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms or dual sensor smoke alarms. Find other tips and reminders like these on our website, at https://mrelectric.com/helpful-resources.