Electrical Safety 101

Rental Properties: 3 Ways a Electrical Contractor Can Help You

by David Hart

If you rent out a property, you are legally required to ensure that the property meets certain safety standards. This article will focus on one particular set of standards concerning electrical safety. If you fail to maintain the electrical systems in the property and this results in the injury or death of a tenant, you could face a hefty compensation claim and possible prosecution. Below is a guide to 3 ways in which an electrician can help you to ensure that your rental property is safe to rent out.

A full system inspection

Before you allow tenants to move into your rental home, you should first ask a qualified electrical contractor to carry out all full inspection of the electrical system in the property. The electrician will check each electrical appliance and the wiring to ensure that there is no damage and that each part of the electrical system is in good working order. If the electrical contractor discovers any damage, they will immediately carry out work to repair or replace the damaged component or length of wire. Once your tenants have moved in, you should arrange for further inspections to be carried out on a periodic basis. Doing so will help to reduce the risk of accidental electrocution and electrical fires.

Testing the fire safety alarm

Many rental properties are split up into separate apartments. Building codes will typically require the landlord of a multi-tenancy building to install a fire control panel which is linked to the smoke detectors in each area being rented out to tenants. An electrical contractor will be able to install a fire control panel as well as servicing the wiring which feeds power to the smoke detectors.

Testing the circuit breakers

Once the electrician is happy with the condition of the appliances and wiring, they will then inspect the control unit which contains the circuit breakers. Circuit breakers are designed to cut off the power supply to different parts of the electrical system if there is a power surge or a sudden drop in power, which could indicate that someone has been electrocuted. However, over time, circuit breakers can degrade, which means that will not be as sensitive as they should be. Your electrical contractor will be able to carry out a full inspection using specialist tools to measure the resistance provided by each breaker. If they discover that any of the circuit breakers are defective, they will replace them immediately.

If you would like to find out more, you should contact an electrical contractor today.

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