Electrical Items Clearance

With a new iPhone or games console coming out every year, it’s no secret that children today are growing up with far more gadgets than any generation before them, and there are some risk related to using and charging gadgets at home. But just because kids are using more technology doesn’t necessarily make them ‘tech-savvy’. In fact, they could be unknowingly leaving themselves open to serious dangers, and parents should be aware of the risks. In this guide, Sparks will inform you of the risk involved with using gadgets in the bedroom, and how accidents can be avoided. Risks associated with kids having access to a multitude of devices Children or teenagers could unwittingly be putting their lives (and yours) at risk with irresponsible use of electronics. If they leave their device charging on the bed, use an unbranded charger or sleep with their phone under their pillow, then they are playing a very dangerous game. When a device, such as a phone or a tablet, is left covered by bedding or under a pillow, there is nowhere for the generated heat to dissipate and it will become increasingly hot. The heat caused by the device, combined with flammable materials, has the potential to cause a fire and put your home - or even lives - in danger. Making sure the device is manufactured to the correct safety standards is important. Sparks provides a guide on how to spot if you have purchased a counterfeit electrical device. Fake electrical items are especially dangerous, as they have not been made to meet UK safety regulations. However, even well-made electronics can still become hazardous very quickly, if not charged on a table or similar safe environment.Fire and Security at Sparks Steps to take to ensure your children are using their devices safely Electrical Safety First (ESF) offers brilliant advice regarding electrical safety at home - for people of all ages. Below is a list of safety tips for your children when they are using electronic devices in their bedrooms. Make sure laptops, phones, tablets and any other electrical devices are charged on a stable surface such as a desk or table. Do not charge phones, tablets or any electrical device on your bed, under a pillow or anywhere the device might overheat. Avoid leaving any devices to charge unattended, especially overnight. Don’t let leads from your electrical items trail across the floor. Ensure your children keep their rooms tidy and dust free. Obstructions such as clothes or game consoles, for instance, can cause vents to get blocked. This will cause the device to overheat and catch on fire. Make sure your family gets into the routine of switching off electronic games, computers, TVs and other electric appliances before they go to bed. Don’t use or let children use fake or unbranded chargers. Many of these chargers do not meet UK safety regulations and can cause serious electric shock, injury or fire. Regularly check your plugs, sockets and cables for signs of damage or scorching. Do not stretch cables across distances too long for them. Do not overload electric plug sockets - this could prove dangerous. If you’re not sure if your socket is overloaded you can check on the ESF calculator. Make sure you don’t leave drinks or other liquids on or near electric appliances. After bathing or showering, children should fully dry themselves off before using any electrical device. Water and electricity are a fatal combination. Make sure your children know how to use electricity and electric appliances responsibly and safely. The Electrical Safety First website is a great resource to educate them on these issues.Buy Electrical Items at Sparks How to ensure your kid remains ‘tech-savvy’ in regards to electrical safety Over 30 accidental deaths tragically occur in the UK due to electrical shocks and fires. You will rest more easily if both you and your family have the proper know-how when it comes to safe electrical practice. Watch this informative video from Two Thirty Volts below as a family. It shows a girl named Ali going about her day-to-day life and interacting with her family. See if you can spot any mistakes she makes whilst using electronics at home. As you can see from the video, it was not just Ali making mistakes when it came to electrical safety! Her mother left the cable of the iron stretched across the stove in the kitchen, which of course, could start a fire. So, whatever your age, you need to remain aware of how you handle your electrical appliances. It is far too easy to feel relaxed and safe at home - this is when you could make a fatal mistake. However, there are plenty of resources to keep you well-informed and safe. Electrical Safety First is a great resource for people of all ages. Meanwhile ‘Switched on Kids’ is aimed at younger children, and explains the basics of electrical safety in very simple terms.

We recently stumbled upon a great article put out by the AdviceGuide - self-help from Citizens advice - concerning, Top tips on how to spot a cowboy builder. And this got us thinking: many people come in our showroom and purchase all kinds of electricals, and sometimes they ask us, Can you recommend a good electrician? We have talked on the blog about using registered electricians, but in principle, there are a few ways to spot and avoid rogue electricians and cowboy builders. Top Tips on Spotting Rogue Electricians You may not be able to check the background or the company of the electrician who approaches you, but there are some signs that can tell you whether he's trustworthy and reliable. These are some of the top tips on spotting and also avoiding the rogue electricians and the cowboy builders: Watch out for the builders or electricians who give you an extremely cheap quote or estimate, or who insist very much that he would start the job right away. No matter how urgent the job may be, first you need to make sure the builder is trustworthy, he gives you a proper quote and is even willing to estimate the job in writing. Beware of the electricians who are not keen on giving you more details about their business (like the address, the landline number, other references from other jobs, etc). You may even go so far to check them out via the NICEIC website whether they are registered and approved. If you're suspicious, you can visit "the wall of shame" and see if you find that electrician there... It is very suspicious when a builder asks for money - whether the whole amount or a small advance - upfront. They may say they need the money to buy the materials, etc but if they are a reliable builder, they should have enough funds to cover the initial costs. Also, make sure they do things exactly as they quote you, and if you need a VAT receipt, they should be able to give it to you. If a builder claims he works for a company that has a good reputation, it doesn't hurt if you double-check that. Of course, if he arrives to you in an unmarked car/van, or if he doesn't look and behave professionally, those should also be warning signs.Find a Registered Electrician in UK How to Avoid Cowboy Builders It is not easy to spot or avoid this type of "cowboy builders" or "rogue electricians". Sometimes they may insist, offer discounts, give you all kinds of promises, ask for a payment in advance, or even say, "I'll do you a favor" or "I have some spare materials left over from a previous job, that's why it's so cheap!" Whether you have a small project or a large project, it is good to take a written quote from them and muse over it for a day or two, while you check them out or ask around for a better quote. You can search for their name or company name online, or in websites like NICEIC, ESC, Electrical Safety Register, RatedPeople, MyBuilder, etc. The best way is to ask for a recommendation from your friends, family, your architect, co-workers, etc - people who already have had some electrical job done and are pleased with the electrician. It is better to be slow and make an informed decision than to be quick in hiring someone and later be sorry! This blog post is inspired from several article like: Top Tips on how to Spot a Cowboy Builder, Avoiding Cowboy Builders, and, Cracking down on cowboy builders. Picture credit: which.co.uk. Of course, you can always pay Sparks Direct a visit at our North London-based showroom, where we will provide you with more informed advice on this matter.

The video below - made by ESC via, Electrical Safety - presents a family and their "normal daily activities", with the electrical hazards that can come up in the course of doing things.Over 50% of people don't know what an RCD is, but it could save your life!We have transcribed some of the text and added some more - useful advice and electrical safety tips for home! Let's see, for example, the Watts family: Dad David, Mom Elaine, Daughter Ally, and the new lodger, Ian. This video presents their stories and you can spot several electrical hazards that could happen... which you may also recognize in your own home! Counterfeit products can kill! Counterfeit kills!For your own personal safety and for the safety of others, you have to buy electrical items from a reputable source - counterfeit products can kill! Counterfeit kills! Yes, many of these devices look good and perform well, but there's a great chance that some of these items you purchase over the internet or from market stores would be faulty or counterfeit. Why risk your own life or the life of the ones in your house when you can purchase electrical items/devices from reputable sources? "There are instances where doggy goods can cause fatalities" Always use the correct adaptor for the appliance Forcing the wrong plug or adaptor into a socket is very dangerous and can lead to electric shock or fire. "The dangers of forcing a two-pin plug into a three-pin socket are that a two pin plug does not have a fuse and for the UK electrical system you need to have a fuse with the plug and without the fuse it could overload and catch fire." Also, there is no protection should there be a fault on the cord or with the device - the two-pin plug does not have an earth and it could lead to an electrical shock to the user of that piece of electrical equipment! Beware of cables buried in the walls when carrying out DIY! Walls and partitions conceal electrical equipment as well as water pipes. A cable detector will help identify the presence of concealed cables, but if in doubt you can ask for professional advice from a qualified electrician. Particularly with the electrical cables, they are hidden in the wall and they run to the electrical socket. First of all, even for a simple setting up a painting or a picture frame on the wall, check whether there is a socket outlet right below the place where you want to set it. It is good to take precautions when putting a nail in a wall - instead of risking death while doing something as simple as this! Hanging clothes over heaters is a fire hazard! If you cover the ventilation slots on a heater it could cause it to overheat and catch fire! Even though it may seem simple to just "put your clothes on the heater", if you cover the ventilation slots of the heater with your clothes, they not only are in danger of being "fried" but also the heater can catch fire. An RCD is a lifesaver - make sure you always use an RCD when using electrical equipment outdoors! An RCD is a safety device that switches off electricity automatically when it detects an electrical fault. Remember to plug your gardening equipment and your power tools into an RCD-protected socket. The situation presented in this video may "look funny" and "ridiculous", but you will be surprised of how easy it is for such a scenario to happen even in your own backyard!Buy Genuine Electrical Items at Sparks