Can your home pass the test?

One of the most preventable fires is an electrical one caused by defective wires or outlets. How would your home score on this quiz?

• Question 1: Do any cords on appliances, lamps or tools look frayed or crimped?
• Question 2: Are any cords hidden under rugs, where they can overheat or get damaged when people walk on them?
• Question 3: Are you using extension cords as a permanent solution to a cord that’s too far from a plug? Extension cords are designed for temporary, not permanent, use.
• Question 4: How many appliances are plugged into a power strip that is plugged into a single outlet? Do any of your home’s outlets support two power strips? An overloaded outlet can lead to an overloaded circuit.
• Question 5: When is the last time you tested your GFCI outlets in the bathrooms, kitchen, laundry room and outdoors? To test them, push the “test” and “reset” buttons on the outlet.
• Question 6: How close are appliances to heating vents, the stove, the oven or another heat source? An overheated appliance could catch on fire and will work inefficiently.
• Question 7: Are the batteries in your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector fresh? Change them twice a year when you set the clocks forward or back as the seasons change.