26,000 Dangerous Electrical Appliances

26,000 Dangerous Electrical & Gas Appliances found by British Gas engineers since January. The most common issues found were in old ovens and boilers with many homeowners admitting they hand been serviced in over 20 years.

The figures come from research that found that the majority of households hadn’t had their gas appliances serviced by a qualified plumber in more than 18 months. 20% of people didn’t even know that annual boiler services are recommended. 30% of people who were polled by British Gas said they didn’t know that the smell of gas was an indication that something could be unsafe.

The cause of some of the dangers found were cheap electrical goods purchased from online market places. 66% of products purchased from online market places failed safety tests. Products tested included some alarms and corona monoxide alarms USB chargers and even children’s toys.

Read the full article by Which consumer group here.

Research indicates that well over 250,000 serious injuries are caused each year by faulty electrical appliances. They are also responsible for half of the fires caused in the UK each year causing over £40 million of damage. This is largely caused by fake goods making their way into the UK market. The charity Electrical Safety First estimates that 2.5 million people have purchased a fake product in the last 12 months.

Where more serious injuries occur is when mains electricity is involved. You can do several things to improve the safety of your electrical system. For example you can ensure that your fuse box or RCD unit is up to date. You can have an electrical safety check in your home that will identify common dangers such as identifying any electrical circuits or equipment is overloaded. Find any electric shocks risks and potential fire hazards and highlight any lack of eating.

If you would like an electrical survey in your home give us a call on 0800 002 9547 or contact us using our contact page.

There are a whole host of signs that an appliance in your home may be dangerous: hot plugs or sockets, scotch marks, fuses that often blow or flickering lights are signs of loose wiring or other electrical problems. Poorly wired plugs with wires exposed, or overloaded plugs with too many appliances running at one time can also be a danger.

You should also check the cables and leads for appliances, fraying or damaged to the cables need replacing. Be care full not to put leads near water, heat or under rugs or carpets as they can be damaged and lead to electric shocks.

If you would like an electrical survey in your home give us a call on 0800 002 9547 or contact us using our contact page.