Sparky.: August 2011

Wednesday 3 August 2011

Do you know your Smoke Alarms.

Do you know that you are more twice as likely to die from a fire in your home if you haven’t got a working smoke alarm? A smoke alarm is the easiest way to alert you to the danger of fire, giving you time to escape.

How many smoke alarms do you need?

The more alarms you have, the safer you'll be - as long as they are working - so make sure you test them weekly. You should have a minimum of one alarm on each floor. However, if you have only one alarm and two floors, put it somewhere you’ll be able to hear it when you're asleep.

Types of smoke alarms;

Ionisation alarms - are the cheapest and most readily available smoke alarms. They are also very sensitive to 'flaming fires' - fires that burn fiercely, like chip-pan fires and will detect fires before the smoke gets too thick.

Optical alarms - are more expensive. However, they are more effective at detecting slow-burning fires, like smouldering foam-filled furniture or overheated wiring and are less likely to go off accidentally and so are best for ground-floor hallways and for homes on one level.

For the best protection, you should install one of each. However, if you can’t have both, it’s still safer to have either one, rather than none at all.

Smoke alarms for the deaf- these have a smoke alarm with a “strobe light” fitted to the ceiling and a vibrating which is placed beneath your pillow.

For more information on smoke alarms have a look at this site. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/InYourHome/FireSafety/DG_071751

If you would like to discuss, smoke alarms with me, please call me on my contact numbers. Tel 01772 879295, Mob 07704 213224, e-mail jeservices@live.co.uk.

Until next time, thanks for taking the time to read this and don’t forget to let me know what you think, I will be glad to receive comments, good or bad.

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Web Address www.johnstoneselectricalservices.co.uk

Thanks again. Ian

24-Hour Emergency Call Out Service.

Please see website for details. www.johnstoneselectricalservices.co.uk.

For your electrical needs, please call us, we can advise on.

Additional Sockets and lights	Replacement consumers units / fuse boxes.
Low energy lighting.	Intruder alarm systems.
Heating system wiring	Re-Wire and new extension wiring specialists
New Builds & Extension wiring	Inspection And Testing
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Monday 1 August 2011

Fuseboxes Explained

Fuseboxes explained

Your Fusebox – the fusebox or consumer unit should be easy to find and you should know where it is in case you ever need to turn the electricity off in an emergency. It usually contains three things and is used to control and distribute electricity around your home. These are:

A) Main Switch – this allows you to turn off the electricity supply to your home. You may have more than one mains switch, for example if your home has electric storage heaters, in this case you will have a separate fusebox.

B) Residual Current Devices (RCD) these are switches that instantly disconnects the circuit when it becomes dangerous. If your fusebox one or more RCD, test them regularly by pressing the “TEST” button. This is important because some of the mechanical parts may seize up and not trip when the circuit becomes dangerious.

C) Circuit Breakers – these are automatic protection devices in the fusebox that switch off a circuit if they detect a fault. They are similar in size to fuses, but give more precise protection. When they ‘trip’, you can simply reset the switch. But make sure you correct the fault first.

Fuses (not on the image, may be found in place of circuit breakers) – rewirable fuses have a piece of special wire running between two screws. When a fault or overloaded current flows through the fuse wire, it will become hot and melt, this disconnects the faulty circuit from the electricity and keeping you safe.

If your fusebox has a wooden back, cast iron switches, or a mixture of fuses it is likely that it dates back to before the 1960s and may need to be replaced.

If you would like to discuss, your consumers unit or fusebox with me, please call me on my contact numbers. Tel 01772 879295, Mob 07704 213224, e-mail jeservices@live.co.uk.