Your home should be a safe haven for both you and your loved ones and it’s important to get the basics right – especially your home electrical. While it’s no secret that electricity is an essential part of our daily lives, it’s up to us to ensure it flows reliably and without causing damage. Advancements in technology mean there a number of wise solutions you can implement to ensure your home is up to date and safeguarded from electrical fire dangers.

Smoke alarms have a place in every home

It goes without saying that smoke alarms are an essential device in every home. With smoke inhalation the major cause of death in domestic fires, you want a fully functioning, reliable alarm that is loud enough to alert the entire family in the event of smoke detection.

For the best smoke alarm system, the NZ Fire Service recommends that “smoke alarms are both interconnected and hard-wired to your home’s electrical wiring.”

There are two key advantages with mains powered alarms. Firstly, they help avoid a loss of operation with batteries running out. They also have the ability to be interconnected, either wirelessly via a wireless base (up to 20), or wired (up to 40), so if one alarm sounds the other one(s) operates which can be critical to help prevent damage or loss of life.  Using a Relay base allows for a “hush” button to be mounted within reach, stopping the need to climb on a chair or manoeuvre a broom to press the hush button in the event of false triggering.

The positioning of the alarm is very important, as an alarm will not work if it is positioned where smoke cannot reach. Avoid areas such as the other side of a closed door, and the dead air space of a peaked ceiling. Smoke detectors should be installed within 3 meters of a sleeping space.

Remember, installing smoke alarms in the wrong place can cause nuisance alarms.  Avoid installing a smoke alarm in your kitchen, as smoke, heat and condensation can activate the alarm. For the same reason, smoke alarms shouldn’t be installed in the bathroom or laundry.

Don’t forget the switchboard

In order for your home’s electrical system to run smoothly and effectively, it’s integral that your home is equipped with a top of the line, quality switchboard. Essentially it’s the ‘heart’ of your home’s electrical systems and properly functioning switchboards will protect you and your family against electric shocks, fires and electronic equipment from damage.

Switchboards are able to detect faults in your electrical system. Once a fault is detected, embedded devices will “trip”, causing the electricity current to be switched off completely and preventing a fire from starting. If you can’t remember the last time you had your switchboards inspected, or if your fuses often trip, it’s probably time you got an upgrade.

Don’t play with fire – add further protection

PDL by Schneider Electric now offers a product – the Arc Fault Detection Device (AFDD) – which can be installed and wired into your switchboard by an electrician, ensuring your family home is safeguarded with the utmost electrical fire prevention software. The new AFDD will cut power the moment a dangerous arc occurs. The product works by detecting dangerous arcs in milliseconds, and then activating a circuit breaker to cut off the power before sufficient energy is released to cause a fire. It does this through sophisticated electronics that monitor in real time a number of different electrical parameters in the circuit it protects.