The lifespan of electrical appliances is becoming shorter and shorter. There are things you can do to expand the life of your appliances and save money. Prevent fire and electric shock injuries, both can prove fatal. Consumers cannot tell how long an appliance was built to last by looking at it, but no one wants to waste their money only for something to break when it is fresh out of warranty.
If you are a business, you need have PAT testing done to be Health and Safety compliant. PAT testing carried out by a trained and qualified electrician can be done quickly with minimal disruption to your business. Each small appliance will be given a label with the inspection date, when it is next due and either “pass”, “fail” or “visual inspection only”.
According to Hexo Electrical Testing, regular inspection by a trained electrician will:
- Check voltage use to ensure nothing will short circuit.
- Check safety. Is anything frayed or broken?
- Determine if any maintenance needs to be carried out.
- Determine if installation of appliance is safe.
- Open plugs and tighten the wires to check for damage.
- Visual inspection by a trained professional. A qualified electrician can see things you cannot and is aware that many faults aren’t visual. They’ve seen it before.
- A trained electrician may be able to replace faulty parts in your appliance.
Stuff you can do at home
Have the appliance installed safely. Your coffee maker might be a plugin and go, but is your shower? Hire a qualified electrician for those larger appliances and white goods.
Clean after use. Seems obvious, but how many times have you cleaned the mould out of the removable parts on your washing machine or bleached the bottom of the fridge? A dirty cooker not only shortens its life expectancy but is a fire hazard, same with the deep fryer.
Appliances need to be placed in a suitable location. You aren’t thinking of installing your cooker in the bathroom, are you? Then don’t use the kettle in the bedroom.
Check for frayed wires before use. A simple visual inspection could save your life. Unplug it and phone a trained electrician to see to the repairs.
Check for plug damage before use and don’t plug into a faulty socket. There’s a risk of electric shock as well as short-circuiting your appliance and sending it to the early recycling centre in the sky.
Do not alter your appliance
Do not try to repair your appliance yourself. Hire a trained electrician. They have qualifications and insurance. They know when a charge needs to be released. You’re not only risking your hard-earned money, but you’re risking an electric shock if you open that TV up yourself.
Follow the instructions that came with the appliance.
Use it for only what it is intended to do. Your fridge is not your air conditioner.
Fill out any registration forms that come with your appliance. These will keep you up to date in the case of a recall.
