An electrical appliance led to a fire in Colby.
The Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service went to the property at 13:53 on September 18th after learning that an as-yet-unnamed appliance had caught fire in the front room of the household.
Responders from Port Erin spotted the overheating appliance, isolated it, and then removed it from the property. Manx Utilities Electrical Department representatives then checked the building to ensure it was safe.
Following this blaze, the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service said that people need to know where their fusebox is and what to do with it in the event of a home emergency.
It pointed out that fuse boxes contain three different things:
- A main switch – This is used to turn off the household’s electrical supply. Some people have several main switches and may even have separate fuseboxes – for instance,, those who use electrical storage heaters.
- Fuses or circuit breakers – rewireable fuses have two screws and a special piece of fuse wire that runs between them. These fuses melt when they are overloaded, breaking the circuit and keeping home electrics safe. Rewiring a fuse in a fuse-box is not particularly challenging, although if you do not disconnect the broken appliance, the fuse will break immediately after you repair it.
- Residual current devices (RCDs) – these switches trip a circuit and disconnect the circuit’s electricity immediately when dangerous conditions present themselves. If a fuse box keeps tripping, it is likely because the RCDs in the fuse-box are keeping you safe from an electrical fault somewhere else in your property.
Know your fuse-box to stay safe with electricity
Most people will never have to repair any electrics themselves – in fact, it may be illegal for people without Part P accreditation to perform certain electrical repairs, even in their own home. However, everyone should know how to use their fuse box and how to shut down their home’s electrics in the event of an emergency or malfunction.
With a home emergency cover service contract, 247 Home Rescue will repair your home’s electrics and make them safe again should they ever break down. This service plan can come with a lot of other features, too, protecting your plumbing, drainage, and even your gas supply. We aim to respond to all emergency claims in less than four hours, and always within 24.
But to protect your appliances, you will need appliance cover. A huge range of white goods and domestic appliances can be protected through us, and with rapid responses and a nationwide team of appliance repair specialists, you will never be left without your essential household goods for any longer than absolutely essential.
