Holiday Electrical Safety

As the holidays approach, we’d like to take a moment to remind all of our customers about some tips to make their Thanksgiving a safe one. There are some excellent ways to prepare and correct potential safety hazards before the big day.

If you plan to use a deep fryer for cooking a turkey

Many Youtube videos depict the dangers of frying a turkey in oil. You can find one of these at your leisure if you feel the need to know the reasons it’s so critical to use safety procedures.

In light of that, we have a few essential pointers:

Make sure the area you’re using is flat, stable, level, and large enough to accommodate the fryer, such as a table. Put your cooking table (or whatever you’re using) a minimum of ten feet from your house, garage, or utility shed. In the event of a fiery spill, it’s best not to have the spill near a building. Thanksgiving is one of the fire department’s busiest days.

Have your grease-approved fire extinguisher on hand before you cook. The five short steps it will take to put it away are better than the five long steps it will take to find it if you need it. Check the charge on it now. Replace or recharge it now if necessary, since you have time. Never use water on a grease fire!

Lock up any curious pets before you start to cook. The turkey should be completely thawed, clean, and dry to ensure that it doesn’t come in contact with the hot oil and cause it to boil up. Lower it into an appropriate amount of oil very slowly. Use a thermometer to regulate the temperature of the oil if the fryer isn’t equipped with one.

Here is an excellent video by the Phoenix Fire Department depicting safe frying procedures.

If you are cooking a turkey in your oven

Now would be an excellent time to make sure your oven is clean and you have a pan that is the right size for your bird, plenty of oven gloves, workspaces (with good lighting!), and that the dishes and utensils you’ll need are well-organized and not missing.

Overburdened electrical connections

Someone said the other day that they wanted to put a six-outlet surge protector on an extension cord in a newborn’s nursery. This kind of connection is known as a ‘daisy chain’ and isn’t a safe option. As much as we admire people’s ability to think creatively when it comes to electricity, the best thing to do is to think inside the box, especially when the box is a houseful of people, and there is a potential for an electrical fire. Your electrician can add outlets to your whole home for less than your insurance deductible in the event of a house fire.

Expand your resources to accommodate the needs of guests

Make sure your home is amply prepared when friends and family come to visit. You can be ready even if they decide to recharge every electronic they own while they’re there, so if you’re adding electrical outlets for any reason besides those close to water or out of doors, consider installing electrical outlets with USB ports.

Reminder: some guests may want to watch television.

Candles

Be safe. Call us if you have electrical problems.

Candles are a beautiful touch for your holiday table. Never leave candles unattended or place them in an area where they are likely to tip over. Never put candles near curtains, paper, books, flammable decorations, or anything else that has the potential to catch on fire. Never allow children near candles, and trim the candle wick to ¼ of an inch before lighting.

If your electrical system is less than optimal and you want to upgrade before the holidays, please call us. We love all of our customers and sincerely wish you all the best and safest of holidays.

When you need a licensed electrician for commercial or residential electrical needs, call Zimmerman Electric at 310-378-1323.