Common Electrical Myths

Myths often contain an element of truth but are often misleading. So we thought it would be useful to give some examples of regularly repeated electrical myths to encourage every one to think and learn more about electricity.

People need to be aware that they might be overloading circuits.

If you never want to trip your fuze board you may be able to monitor your electrical items carefully enough to avoid it. But normal life occasionally trips a breaker whether it be once a month or once a year, this is not a problem. The tripping of the breaker is what keeps everyone form overloading circuits. I believe this myth started from people being warned not to overload extension cords.

Old wires can go decay in the wall.

Wires within walls do not generally deteriorate much over time. Damage from rats & mice is quite rare.

Low voltage shocks aren’t dangerous.

plug sockets and forks are a big concern for parents with small children. But parents rarely consider the danger in giving children batteries to put in their toys. Because batteries are low voltage so there not dangerous right?

Rather than voltage it is the current of electricity that presents a danger to people. In the right circumstances even a relatively small battery can cause harm to people.

Rubber gloves are good insulators.

If the gloves are made of pure rubber then they are fully insulated. However most “rubber gloves” are made with a mix of various different materials some of which are electrical conductive. So its better to be safe than sorry and don’t assume that rubber gloves are good insulators against electricity.

If you have any questions about this months blog or you are looking for a qualified certified electrician in St Albans or Hertfordshire give us a call today or get in touch using our contact page here.