Use Qualified Professionals

A lot of people love a good do-it-yourself home project – the sense of accomplishment and the (potential) savings alone are great motivators. However, it’s not always worth it to skip the middle person – the qualified, certified and regulated electrician, plumber, installer, etc. It could cost you more than a few dollars – it could result in disaster.

Foolhardy Marty attempted to cut corners by crossing some summer to-dos off his list: installing additional outlets for more fans and air conditioners to better endure the summer heat; and when he didn’t have wall space, he simply ran an extension cord under a rug to a power strip that he then plugged a fan, a mini fridge and his blender into for a new beverage station in his living room. While he meant well in avoiding the tripping hazard and adding a new fun space for his friends, he actually created a tremendously unsafe environment ripe for a destructive fire. Next time, Marty will call an electrician and a contractor and electrician to properly build his desired additions.

Our friends at the National Fire Protection Association have lots of great safety tips – check them out at www.nfpa.org for all of your fire safety needs and questions. Here is a great checklist for electrical safety in your home, office or business, and you can download a printable version here.