Some sneaky winter electrical safety tips by the south coast sparky

The cold weather sends most of us inside to hybernate next to the fire and forget our frozen toes with a glass of deliciously warming red wine. But the south coast has been enjoying a rather mild autumn. Heck, it's the end of May and I'm still walking around in boardies and a t-shirt! My kids are still swimming in the sea without lips turning blue. With the weather the way it is, it's easy to forget about winter electrical safety (and winter is only a week away).

Here are some sneaky tips to keep you and your grommets safe this winter:

Test you fire alarms
We had a bushfire scare in Moruya Heads today. The whole place smelt of campfire. Driving to town meant driving through a ghost blanket of smoke. Hope no poor bastard lost anything. So test your fire alarms before you start your fire this winter so that your place doesn't resemble ghostly South Head Road today!!

Don't climb on top of heaters
I tell my wife this constantly. I'm surprised she hasn't combusted yet. I'll tell you guys too - keep your distance from heaters! I do not want to smell you hair burning, it stinks! Keeping a distance of 1 metre between your heater and objects (stationary or otherwise), is recommended.

Never double up on doubling up
It might seem like a good idea to power your heater, computer, tv, iPad, iPhone, iPod, turn tables, disco lights and smoke machine using a power board with double-adapters plugged in to double-adapters. It's not. Don't be a bloody idiot. Don't double up on double-adapters or power boards. You can easily overload the circuit and start a fire. Your home nightclub is no good up in smoke now is it!

Bin grandma's old electric blanket
Electric blankets and heaters wear with age. Unfortunately for them, they can't get botox. If your cords are frayed or damaged, don't risk it. Throw them out. If you're not sure, give me a buzz and I'll come and do a winter safety check for you. I may even bring my grandma's luscious nut slice for a friendly snack.

Don't grill lamb chops
OK, grill them, they taste good. Just don't forget about them. That's how fires start. That's all. Enough said.

Rats have big sharp teeth
Did you know that rats have big sharp teeth and they love electrical wiring? Yep, just ask my old man. A man sized rat used its big sharp teeth to chew right through the wiring in his dishwasher. I don't know who was more upset. The rat at being dead or me at the thought of hand washing. The chilly weather sends our big-toothed friends inside in the search of warmth (or perhaps they're just after my shiraz). A common winter call out for me as a sparky is to replace wiring that has been under attack from big-toothed rodents. If you have had rats recently, best give me a buzz to take a look at your wiring.

Well, that's my two cents worth. Moral of the story, if your loved one starts climbing on heaters to avoid big-toothed rats, call me on 0411457441 or drop me a line, [email protected].

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Electrician | Batemans Bay, Moruya, Narooma
www.cowleyelectrical.com.au.