If your home has a typical basement, you know it’s a hub of activity. Be it a finished family entertainment center; “man cave”; workshop; entry point of your home’s utilities where the circuit box, main water and gas shut-offs may be located;

major utility area where your furnace, water heater, water softener, washer and dryer may be located; storage area; or a little of everything — your basement has some special electrical safety concerns your electric cooperative wants you to keep in mind.

“Though we’re up and down the basement steps all day long, it seems, the basement is easily ignored when it comes to safety. We simply flick the light switch, close the door and assume all is OK,” said  Rick Coons, CEO at Indiana Electric Cooperatives. “Yet, it is where some of our most essential — and expensive — home appliances are kept. We know heating equipment and electrical distribution systems are two of the leading causes of home fires.”

Appliances

You can help keep your home safe by making sure your major appliances are properly maintained.

• Have your furnace cleaned and inspected annually by a licensed professional.
• Make sure all fuel-burning equipment, such as furnaces, stoves and fireplaces, is vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Check for excessive vibration or movement when the washing machine or dryer is operating. This can put stress on electrical connections.
• Make sure the area around your dryer is clutter free and that the dryer lint filter is cleaned after each load.
• Have the dryer vent inspected and cleaned periodically, either by yourself or a professional, to make sure it doesn’t become blocked and free of kinks or catches in the tubing.
• Don’t overlook your basement when it comes to smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.

Electric panels and outlets

• Check the label inside the door or cover of your electrical service panel to see when your electrical system was last inspected. If the date has passed or is approaching, contact a licensed, qualified electrician to schedule an inspection.
• Be sure circuit breakers or fuses are correctly labeled with their amperage and their corresponding rooms, circuits or outlets.
• Never open and touch the panel while standing in water or on a wet or damp floor.
• Always keep the breaker panel door closed and secured. Do not place anything in front of the door.
• Make sure your outlets around the washer/dryer, sinks and sump pump are equipped with ground fault circuit interrupters. Test them often to make sure they are working properly.
• Be sure circuit breakers and fuses are correctly labeled with their amperage and their corresponding rooms, circuits or outlets. Use correct size and current rating for breakers/fuses.
• Increase your fire protection by having a licensed electrician replace your standard circuit breakers with arc fault circuit interrupters.

With all the wet weather Indiana has experienced this year, basements and electrical systems may have been damaged by flooding or just seeping water. Never enter your basement if water has reached above the electrical outlets and never touch your electrical panel if you have to stand in water or on a damp floor to do so.

Sources: Electrical Safety Foundation International, Underwriters Laboratories, NRECA, Electric Consumer

With all the wet weather Indiana has had this year, many basements around the state have flooded or experienced standing water from leaks from inside the walls and floor or sump pump problems. Here are some special concerns when it comes to water in the basement:

• Never open and touch the electric panel while standing on a wet or damp floor.
• Never enter the basement if water has risen above the electrical outlets, unless you know for certain power to those outlets has been shut off at the circuit box. If you cannot reach your circuit box and main breakers because of flooding, contact your cooperative to have power shut off at your meter.
• Never plug in or use appliances that have gotten wet or been in flooded areas until they have been inspected and OK’d by a professional repair technician.
• Even if your basement seems dry, when checking the panel it’s always a good idea to wear rubber-soled shoes or boots and/or stand on a rubber mat. Never open and touch the panel while standing on a wet or damp floor. Be especially careful in your basement if you have experienced flooding or leaking.

The electric panel, whether it’s in your basement, utility room or garage, is where your home connects to the electric grid. Give it the respect it requires:

• Be sure circuit breakers or fuses are correctly labeled with their amperage and their corresponding rooms, circuits or outlets.
• Always keep the breaker panel door closed and secured. Do not place anything in front of the door and keep flammable objects away.
• When resetting a circuit or replacing a fuse, use one hand and turn your head away as a simple safety precaution.
• Recurring tripped circuits or blown fuses indicate the potential for a serious electrical problem. Call a professional electrician to have it checked.