If you live in a relatively new home it is likely that you will already have safety switches installed according to government coding. These switches are also mandated in temporary accommodations, caravans, or in rental properties. However, you are not required to have them in place if you live in an older home. Why is it a good idea for you to consider installing them?
How Do They Work?
The safety switch can automatically turn off your power supply to a specific circuit in a fraction of a second. They are specifically designed to safeguard people from the risk of electric shock. Without a safety switch in place, if you were to come into direct contact with electricity it would use your body as a conduit in order to find earth. As this will cause the electricity in the circuit to fluctuate, the safety switch was invented in order to detect that fluctuation and immediately cut the power off.
Many older homes simply do not have this type of safeguard in place, but it's a sad fact of life that many fatalities caused by electrical shock could have been avoided this way.
Three Different Types
There are three different types of safety switch. The first two must always be installed by a qualified electrician, such as Smart-Safe Electrical Services.
Switchboard
These will generally protect specific electrical circuits in the home, as well as extension cords and electrical appliances connected to those circuits. When a fault materialises, only the specific circuit protected will be disarmed, but other circuits in the home will still function.
Power Point
In this case, individual power receptacles will be replaced by a safety switch. The appliances and extension cords connected to that receptacle will be protected. Many people also choose to have Power Points installed as part of an electrical circuit that is already protected by a switchboard device.
Portable
It's also possible to get safety switches that are portable and used by people who regularly work with power tools in areas where there are no permanent safety devices. You might want to get hold of one of these at a local DIY store if you're working outside in the garden, using an unprotected receptacle.
Compliance
When you have Switchboard or Power Point safety switches installed by a qualified electrician, make sure you get an electrical certificate of compliance. This will give details of the work completed and confirm that it has been tested and examined, in accordance with appropriate national standards.
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