S’pore Electrician Shares Important Home Safety Tips After Dad’s Electrical Box Caught Fire

By
Shawn Ambrose
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There really is no place like home.

Much of the things we fear in life are outside, such as deadly viruses, murderers, and pigeons.

But, while our home can be a safe haven from these dangers, it could also present a few hazards of its own.

One such danger is the risk of a fire breaking out in our house, which can happen to anyone if they don’t take the proper precautions.

S’pore Electrician Shares Important Home Safety Tips After Dad’s Electrical Box Caught Fire

That’s the warning one local electrician had for netizens on Facebook after his father’s home was nearly burned down.

According to the electrician, the incident occurred on 20 Aug at around 11pm. The man’s father was having a shower when there was a “blackout” in his house.

Not thinking much of it, the elderly man dried himself off and got ready for bed.

A few minutes later, when he went out to the living room, he discovered, to his horror, that his distribution board (DB) box – or electrical panel – was on fire, with flames reaching the corniced ceiling.

Image: Facebook (Khairi Rais)

Fortunately, the electrician’s father had a dry powder extinguisher which he used to put out the blaze.

“Had he prepare for bed earlier and went to sleep, he wouldn’t have sense the fire in the living room and would probably perish in the fire,” the electrician wrote.

Fault in Main Cable

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was later called in to investigate the cause of the fire. A fault in the main incoming cable to the DB box caused what’s known as ‘arcing’, or sparking, he said.

Based on his own investigations, the electrician found that the kWH meter outside his father’s house didn’t trip when it should have due to the excess current.

The man said that although he’s no longer active on Facebook, the incident demonstrated the need to share the importance of domestic electrical safety.

Which is why he got back onto Facebook.

Tips

Here are a few tips he offered:

  • Do not overload socket outlets and multi-plugs.
  • If arcing occurs on the socket outlet and multi-plug, get them replaced immediately.
  • Switch off all your socket outlets and do a ‘Trip test’ on a weekly or monthly basis by pressing on the yellow button of the residual current circuit breaker (RCCB); if it flips down, it means it’s working
  • Switch off all your socket outlets and lights with the exception of the refrigerator if you are going to leave your house for a period of time, even for work.
  • Avoid using an instant water heater as it poses a higher risk of electrocution. Install a storage water heater instead.
  • Buy a 2-3kg dry powder extinguisher in case of emergencies.
  • Be wary of the smell of burning plastic, as it could be a sign of insulation failure in an appliance.

Finally, the electrician advised netizens not to leave children and elderly people alone at home as they may panic in the event of a fire, and may be unsure of what to do.

He also encouraged the public to engage a LEW (Licensed Electrical Worker) for any electrical works.

“Hope my post will create awareness to you and your loved ones living in different household,” he said.

You can read his full post below:

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Feature Image: Facebook (Khairi Rais)

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Shawn Ambrose
Email: [email protected]