Four tips to reinforce the security of your home's electrical installation

Safety is paramount when we talk about home, the place where we spend many hours of our lives with our loved ones. Check out these tips to look after your electrical installation and prevent accidents:

1. Water, as far away as possible

This is a very important rule, as water not only negatively affects the materials of your installation, it is a real risk of short-circuit, fire and electrocution. We therefore make some more specific recommendations in this regard:

a) Always get an expert involved when designing the kitchen and bathroom, as well as when renovating them, as these are areas where water is most likely to come into contact with your electrical installation. When you need to make an alteration to your electrical or plumbing installation, always locate both so that they do not interfere with each other. Likewise, follow the regulations when it comes to making your electrical installation or working in kitchens and bathrooms, always using materials and products that are suitable for these spaces. Make sure that electrical appliances used in the kitchen and bathroom are dry and away from the sink, bathtub, shower tray, bidet or washbasin.

b) Never connect or disconnect electrical appliances when you are barefoot or have wet feet or hands. Also do not activate or deactivate the light switch in the same circumstances.

c) If you have a garden, be careful with irrigation. Keep it away from cables, junction boxes, etc.

2. Maximum caution with your electrical appliances

Stay alert when it comes to electrical appliances. First of all, choose the right device by reading its specifications: check the voltage, power and efficiency, to see if it fits your needs. When using them, always follow their instructions. Follow our tips on cables and plugs to connect and disconnect them. Do not leave appliances connected when they are not in use: don't forget that standby (phantom consumption) continues to consume power even if you do not use your appliance, as well as increasing the risk of accident or damage in the event of a power problem.

In case of any anomaly (overheating, shocks, bad smell, smoke, sparks, etc.), turn it off. Never handle a device without first disconnecting it, even to change a light bulb. Pay special attention to the maintenance of your electrical appliances: this will maintain their usefulness, efficiency and prolong their useful life. And never forget to leave them out of reach of children and pets.

3. Know your installation

Familiarise yourself with it. If your electrical panel has phases, one trick is to write down on labels attached to the door which area of the house each one corresponds to. That way, anyone can identify the phases and deactivate them if necessary. It is also useful to show the adults living with you how to operate the electrical panel, so that they know how to turn off the electricity if needed. You can do a quick check yourself by pressing the general differential switch: If the lever goes down automatically, it is working correctly. If it does not go down, there is something wrong with your electrical panel and it should be inspected. It is advisable to do it once a year.

Always have the basic material at hand for a simple repair: protective equipment such as electrician's gloves, insulating tape, a clamp, cable, pliers... If you are not confident or are not sure, always contact a technician. At Endesa we offer you 360 Plus Protection, a service with which you can breathe easy without worrying about your electrical installation.

Being familiar with your installation also means also knowing your power. Do not connect more appliances at the same time than those indicated for your wattage, nor connect too many plugs to the same switch (no power strips connected to power strips): ideally, one device per switch.

Also watch out for heat sources: do not leave objects or materials that may burn nearby.

To prevent children or pets from tampering with sockets, get socket protectors and place them on the sockets within their reach.

Finally, we remind you to be careful with the cables that are on the ground, as you can trip over them. Do not hide them under a carpet either, as this can lead to overheating. Also, if the cable is not visible, you will not be able to tell if there is any damage.

4. Maintenance as the main key

We have already told you about the importance of your electrical appliances being well maintained. But you also need to take care of your installation. Periodically check that your electrical panel, switches and plugs are in proper working order: if you detect that something is wrong (not working properly, shocks, sparks, strange noises or smoke) lower the circuit breaker.

It does not hurt to have a fire extinguisher at home. Pay attention to the expiry date, as the contents of the extinguisher lose their properties after a certain period of time. The extinguisher itself indicates the recommended use of the extinguisher.

With these recommendations, caution and common sense, you will have your installation and appliances ready so you can enjoy your home without risks.