Electrical Malfunctions probable cause of Fires
 

Two more fires in TV yesterday, probable cause Electrical Malfunction as per article in the paper. I recently had some work done in my own house, found ground wires not connected for kitchen & dining room lights as well as the ceiling fan in the living room. Also Electrican who came to fix my outside post light stated it wasn't wired to a GFI circuit as was required. I'm starting to question the Electrical work in the new homes.

I hope they publish some information on exactly what caused the electrical malfunctions. One of the homes was in an older area.

Older home
 

Over the Christmas Holiday there was one by the Polo Grounds also that was an older one. If you search the posts there are other new ones that also had Electrical Malfunctions. Just bringing out a point that's all.

Sadly, I tend to forget about the fires in the past as I never get the details of "electrical malfucntion", so I tend to think the owner did something (bad extension cord, too many crock pots, etc).... and forget about it. Part of the flawed "cannnot happen to me" syndrome.

I do however find it disturbing that a licensed electrician found code issues at your home. Maybe time to invite my old master electrician buddy down for some free golf :)

Can't help but wonder what the final electrical inspectors report looked like for your house when it was brand new?

Very scarey incident indeed! I have no information about the cause of the fire etc.. I definitely will have a electrical inspector check my house out from top to bottom.

But what I would like to say is the outstanding response of our Fire Department. From the time I called, they were here within a minute and so dedicated to their call of duty. With the thick black smoke and finding out there were three cats in the home, they didnt stop for a second until all three cats were found. They were absolutely wonderful and although my heart breaks for my neighbor.....I do believe that without the professionalism and dedication of the fire fighters, the house and the pets would have been lost. I am so grateful for what they did, especially knowing now that there were two fires at the time.

Great job!! :clap2:

And prayers for those two home owners that endured such a horrible day, so glad no one was hurt.

Jeanne

Word of caution.......
 

Never plug in your electric charger to your golf cart while you are away from home....
If you don't have a smoke detector in your garage , then buy a battery powered one at favorite hardware store .....

Battery chargers are something to keep an eye on .........

fumar

I am sure the homeowners and kitties are grateful for what you did too, Jeanne! Lucky you were around to save the day. Great Job!! :clap2:

The Daily Sun needs to report
 

What caused the fires ! Homeowner error ( overloaded power strips, cart charger malfunction, small wired extension cords or something plug in that malfunctioned) or Builder problem ( loose connections in panel box, incorrect breaker size for wire it is protecting, or a circuit breaker that malfunctioned due to manufacture problem )
If it is a homeowner issue, than an electrical safety article might might be in order. If it is a builder problem then they should report it.

Well, now I'm worried about the wiring here. TV generally provides a good product for the money, but they get lax (remember the siding fiasco?).

I've lived around the country and inspectors are notorious for not inspecting, so there's little comfort that the homes passed inspection. Sounds like an electrician visit may be in order, I'll have to find some electrical work to be done.

Work to be done
 

As I posted earlier I did find a few issues. I've since checked the outlets with a tester they seem to be fine. I'm having some work done in the near future that will require some electrical work, so I'm going to have a few other items checked out. I totaly agree with the other posts regarding chargers being left plugged in, wrong size extension cords etc. As for the inspectors don't really know how far they go or what they actually check.If the outlets and the like are all ready in how far can he really go??

As a seasonal resident, I was wondering what to do when I'm away from TV. So I checked with the Headquarters office and also the mechanics where I purchased my golf cart. I was told to definitely leave my electric golf cart plugged in during the months I'm away, or the battery will deteriorate.

When we leave home for more than a week or so I always disconnect the battery in the car we leave at home. This has eliminated a problem we once had with killing the battery by the small current drain from the electronics in the vehicle. Is this not possible with golf cart batteries?