Peek A Boo, I See You: Exposed Wiring

Life is full of things we pretend we didn’t see…a piece of toilet paper on someone’s shoe, someone’s underwear showing above their low-rider pants, or spinach in your co-worker’s teeth. For the most part, none of those things are life threatening. Today I want to talk about something that we have all seen and probably wondered about: Exposed Wire. There are many places this can occur in your home; here is what to look for:

Power Cords: Power cords can become worn if things roll over them or they get pinched in a door or drawer. If there is ever bare copper wire showing through a cord, it is time to replace the cord or appliance.

Exposed wiring: During a remodel, or in a basement or unused room, there can be uncapped wires sticking out of the wall where a switch, receptacle or fixture used to be. These should always be capped off individually with separate wire nuts in case they are still ‘hot’ and power is running through them.

Outlets: If an outlet is loose, a plug will hang halfway out of it, exposing the metal prongs. These exposed prongs have electricity running through them and can be an electrocution hazard if they are touched. The loose connection of the prongs inside the outlet can also arc and overheat, cause the outlet to melt. Loose and worn outlets should be replaced to prevent this.

Cord Ends: Sometimes a wire pulls free of the cord end/plug and exposes the bare wire underneath. This happens when someone yanks the cord to unplug an appliance. Always grab the cord plug firmly when unplugging it from the receptacle. This happens a lot to charger cords whose wires are fragile to begin with. When the wires begin to pull loose, they can arc and start to meltdown the cord. Always replace cords whose wires are exposed.

So, to recap-if you see bare wire or electrical prongs peeking out from cords and plugs, be cautious. The team at Lightspeed Electrical Services is always available to answer your questions and help you make your home a safer place. 417-239-5050