Protecting Denver Residents from Electrical Fires
Aging electrical wire, loose connections, and worn electrical components can cause sparking or an arc fault in your home’s electrical system. Arc faults are a leading cause of household electrical fires. Circuit breakers and ground fault interrupters do not protect you from dangerous electrical component arcing. So keeping the safety of people in mind, Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupters, or AFCIs, were introduced. These interrupters and breakers play an important role in protecting you and your home from fires hazards. For expert arc fault protection services in Denver, give our team of electricians a (303) 313-3333!
How Do Arc Faults Cause Fires?
Arc faults usually happen when there is a discharge of high-energy between conductors. This causes arcing or jumping between wires. Arcing faults make wires extremely hot and can ignite flammable materials around them. This problem is usually caused by damaged electrical cords of deteriorated wiring that has been pinched or pierced. Therefore, you should avoid using nails or staples to keep an extension cord in place. You must also make sure the cords of your appliances are not damaged.
It only takes a single damaged or deteriorated wire to cause arcing, which can lead to a fire. Arcing can also happen if the insulation around wires has deteriorated. Regular circuit breakers are not designed to prevent arcing. Therefore, they cannot stop the arcing of electricity, thus causing a fire. However. since 2002, all newly built and old homes were required to install arc-fault circuit interrupters and breakers in bedrooms, main panels and in all home circuitry.
Why Should Arc-Fault Circuits Be Installed?
Many people feel that ground circuit breakers and arc-fault circuit breakers have the same function. However, this is a common misconception. As mentioned earlier, arc fault circuit breakers prevent arcing between electrical circuits and wires, which cannot be done by any other circuit breaker. This is mainly because a traditional circuit breaker is only designed for short circuits and overloads, and thus does not offer any resistance to the erratic current that flows due to arcing.
This is why it is important for homeowners to install arc-fault circuit interrupters and breakers. When an abnormality is observed by the breaker, the internal contacts of the arc-fault circuit interrupters trip, thus leaving the circuits blank of electricity. Therefore, this reduces the chances of an electrical fire.
Professional Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter Installation
At AAA Service Plumbing, Heating & Electric, we install arc fault circuit interrupters that detect dangers like worn electrical wiring that can cause a spark or arc that can start an electrical fire. The arc fault breaker senses these arc faults and safely shuts down the electrical circuit. Our Denver electrical experts will inspect your home for dangerous wiring and check your arc fault interrupters or install them to make sure your home’s electrical circuitry is safe and sound.
There Are Several Circumstances in Which You Could Benefit from Arc Fault Protection, Such As:
- In bedrooms to protect sleeping people
- In older homes with aging electrical components
- When you upgrade your home’s electrical panel
In areas that get extremely cold, frozen pipes are a huge problem. The water inside the pipes freezes and puts extra stress on the pipes. This stress is sometimes too much for the pipes to handle and they burst. A blown pipe can cause your home to flood. The best bet is to insulate your pipes to prevent the issue. However, if it does occur, you have to get it fixed immediately.
So, keep a lookout for the above-mentioned issues and have them repaired as soon as you spot them.
Skilled Electricians Protecting What Matters Most
How to Winterize Your Pipes
When you need to be certain that your home’s electrical system is safe, our Denver electrical team at AAA Service Plumbing, Heating & Electric is here to help. We are committed to providing top-quality care, starting with arriving promptly to scheduled appointments, offering upfront and honest pricing, and going to great lengths to protect the work area.
Learn more about your options and whether you could benefit from arc fault circuit interrupters in Denver by calling us at (303) 313-3333 today!
