Understanding Electrical Outlet Safety

Look around you right now. How many things do you see that use electricity? In my field of vision, I have a television, two computers, a desk light, a modem, a router, a record player, an XBOX, speakers and a lava lamp. Now, those things don’t use a ton of power, but combined with my kitchen and laundry appliances, air conditioner and everything else in my home, that’s a lot of stuff, and everything is plugged in at an electrical outlet.

Outlets are the end of the line for your home’s electrical system, allowing you to easily and safely harness the power that enters your house at the electrical service panel. But outlets and receptacles, the devices you stick plugs into, can be dangerous if they’re abused or overloaded. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that each year between 2015 and 2019, more than 32,000 residential fires were caused by faulty electrical equipment and lighting, with 13% involving outlets and receptacles.

That does not even include direct property damage ($120 million in 2019 dollars), deaths, and injuries. Just from those ubiquitous little sockets in your wall! As an electrician, I’ve seen my fair share of overloaded outlets and crispy, charred receptacles, and it’s not pretty. Are you ready to get serious about electrical outlet safety? Here’s what to know.

Electrical Outlet Risks

When you plug an appliance or device into an outlet, the prongs on the plug tap into a circuit that reaches all the way back to your electrical panel. Power comes to the receptacle on the hot wire and returns to the panel on the neutral in an endless loop. Until you unplug the appliance, electricity is constantly in motion through the circuit wires (conductors), receptacle, appliance cord and plug. That’s quite a few potential points of failure.

Conductors have their own list of problems, like rodents, but the most significant risks connected with electrical outlet failures include:

• Electrical shock: Electrical current flowing through your body causes physiological reactions, including muscle contractions, irregular heartbeat, burns and internal injuries. It doesn’t take much, either, just a few milliamps of current, to give you a shock that you can feel.
• Electrocution: Electrical shock that causes death is called electrocution.
• Fires: Damaged electrical outlets and receptacles can cause sparks, heat, short circuits and fires.

Signs of Unsafe Electrical Outlets

Electrical fires don’t always announce themselves, especially if they happen behind a wall, in an attic or while you’re asleep. But outlets and receptacles often give clues that something is wrong, so don’t ignore these telltale signs of unsafe electrical outlets.

Sparking

Sparks or flames coming from a receptacle or outlet are an immediate danger to your home and family. If you see sparks, go directly to your electrical panel and shut off the breaker to that circuit. If you don’t know what circuit it is, shut off the main breaker. Then, unplug any device plugged into the receptacle and call a licensed electrician to inspect the outlet.

Burning smell or visible charring

Black streaks on your drywall or snaking out of the holes on a receptacle is a bad sign because it means flames or sparks happened when you weren’t around, likewise for a burning smell. It could even mean a fire is smoldering behind or inside your outlet. Take the same precautions: turn off the breaker, unplug everything at the outlet and call an electrician.

Popping, crackling or buzzing sounds

Popping sounds or crackling is an immediate fire danger because you typically hear electric sparks inside the outlet. Turn off the breaker, unplug all devices and call an electrician.

Buzzing is more likely to be a loose connection at the receptacle, but it’s still nothing to ignore. It also could mean your receptacle has gone bad and needs replacing. Turn off the breaker. If you’re trained and comfortable investigating, remove the faceplate and receptacle and tighten the connections. Make sure the power is off! Test every wire with a non-contact voltage tester before proceeding.

Heat

With a lot of use, outlets can get slightly warm. That’s not necessarily an immediate problem, but keep an eye on them. Test a warm outlet by unplugging devices and checking back in an hour. If it’s still warm, get it looked at. If an outlet is very hot to the touch, especially if you have a high-amp appliance or overloaded power strip plugged in, be more cautious. Turn off the breaker, unplug everything and call an electrician.

Causes of Unsafe Electrical Outlets

Monitor your outlets and receptacles for these key warning signs:

• Overloaded outlets. Except for certain large-appliance circuits, most of the outlets in your home are 15 or 20 amps, and it’s important not to overload them. When you plug in more than the circuit can handle, it can fail, spark and pose significant electrical fire danger.
• Old and outdated receptacles. If you have an older home, consider updating any two-prong ungrounded receptacles to GFCI or other reliable three-prong devices.
• Moisture. Water in an outlet creates a very dangerous sparking risk. Bathrooms, kitchens and other moisture-prone areas around your house require GFCI protection. Take caution whenever water gets into close proximity with an electrical outlet.
• Short circuits. Loose connections inside an outlet can cause arcing, sparks, shock and fires.
• Poor repairs. Faulty outlet repair can cause headaches and added risks for electrical issues. Call a licensed electrician if you’re unsure what you’re doing. Safety is your top priority.

Make Outlets Safer with a GFCI

If your electrical system was installed correctly and you use it safely, outlets and receptacles are pretty hands-off. But if you have old, unsafe wiring or two-prong receptacles with no ground fault protection, you can make your home and your family safer by upgrading to GFCI receptacles. These important safety devices protect people from electric shock by monitoring the level of electricity flow through the circuit.

Sources

National Fire Protection Association: Home Electrical Fires.