The home electrical grid has become such a natural part of our lives that we usually don't pay attention to the light distributed in the room at any time with the push of a button, our ability to regulate the climate in the house in any season, the variety of options in the kitchen, and more.
Safe use of electricity is essential because unsafe use poses a risk to life. In new buildings, home electrical systems meet strict standards that make them very safe to use. Such standards are updated and improved, partly due to technological advances. Often, electrical systems in older apartments and houses do not meet the requirements and therefore their level of safety is lower. Simple and inexpensive actions can be taken to upgrade and improve outdated electrical systems. Here is a description of actions that every owner of an old house or apartment can, and should, take care to perform.
Grounding the foundation of a structure
Electrical outlets have three holes, two of which are used to supply the electrical current itself and one (the lower one) connects the device consuming the electricity to the ground. In professional jargon, such a connection to the ground is called “grounding.” The function of grounding is purely safety. Good grounding allows for the identification of electricity leakage from the system to an unclear location, a situation that can indicate a risk of electric shock or, in more serious cases, actual electric shock. The component in the electrical cabinet responsible for disconnecting the electrical current to the entire system in the event of an electrical leakage is the circuit breaker, which we will discuss later.
However, identifying the risk of electric shock through grounding is only possible on condition that the electrical system is properly and of good quality connected to the ground. In old apartments and houses, there is a danger that the structure's grounding is inadequate. An important step in improving the safety of old electrical systems is to ensure good grounding, that is, a solid and high-quality connection of the grounding line in the electrical system to the ground. A qualified electrician can check the quality of the structure's grounding and, if necessary, recommend a simple repair that will improve it.
Modern, proper and high-quality depreciation relay
The most important safety measure, as far as the home electrical system is concerned, is the circuit breaker installed in the electrical cabinet. This breaker is also called a circuit breaker or “circuit breaker protector.” This is an automatic circuit breaker installed in the electrical cabinet that disconnects the main power supply to the entire house when there is an indication of a situation where electricity is “leaking from the system” or, in other words, flowing to an unknown location.
As long as the electricity flow in the system is normal, the circuit breaker maintains the “On” position, and when a flow of electricity is created out of the system, as happens in the case of an electric shock (the electricity flows through the body to the ground), a properly functioning circuit breaker will immediately trip and cut off the electricity supply to the entire house. In this way, when a person, in one way or another, touches the point where electricity is supplied, he will indeed receive a brief electric shock, but the circuit breaker will trip and immediately stop the flow of electricity to the house – and the electric shock will stop, in less than one second.
In older homes and apartments, it is important to make sure that the circuit breaker in the electrical panel is an advanced model, and that it is a quality circuit breaker that works well. A qualified electrician will be able to tell if the circuit breaker needs to be replaced. In addition, a circuit breaker should be tested once a month. It is recommended to consult an electrician to know how to perform such a test properly.
Lightning protector
Although the probability of this is small, lightning can damage any structure, with the associated danger to those inside it. It is important to know that lightning that strikes a point close to the structure can also cause damage to the home's electrical system and even cause an electric shock. There are various means to protect the electrical system and the occupants of the house from lightning. A quality lightning rod will conduct lightning electricity to the ground, preventing the risk of electrocution and also greatly reducing damage to electrical appliances due to lightning in the area of the structure during a winter storm.
Inspection by a certified electrician
In old houses and apartments, it is very important to invite a certified electrician to inspect the electrical system - even if everything seems to be in order.
Certified electricians use professional equipment to test plugs throughout the home. If the electrical cabinet in the home is already outdated, a professional electrician may recommend actions such as replacing several circuit breakers (thermal magnetic circuit breakers) in the electrical cabinet, outlets and switches in the home, and more.
