Nothing is more important than your family's safety. That's why you need to make every effort to identify and eliminate fire risks in and around your home, particularly in your electrical work. Faulty wiring, delayed maintenance or carelessness can lead to a disaster that can cost you your home and endanger your life. Read on to learn more about the most common causes of electrical fires and how you can prevent them.

Power in Percentages

Electrical failures contributed to about 47,700 home structural fires in 2011, according to a report by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Those fires resulted in 418 deaths and $1.4 billion in damage. Clearly, the stakes are high in making sure that the electrical work is safely installed in your home.

According to the NFPA's report, 48 percent of home fires caused by electrical failure were started by the electrical distribution and/or lighting systems. Of that 48 percent, 63 percent were started by wiring, 20 percent by lighting, 11 percent by cords and plugs, and 6 percent by transformers and power supplies.

Fans caused an additional 6 percent of electrical fires, washers and dryers another 6 percent, space heaters 4 percent, air conditioning 4 percent, water heaters 3 percent and stovetop ranges 3 percent.

Don't Become a Statistic

The good news is that electrical fires have declined steadily since the 1980s. Modern technologies and building techniques have lowered the risk of fire and kept everyone safer. However, there's no reason to be complacent when it comes to safety. To decrease your risk of falling victim to a fire caused by your electrical system, follow these tips:

Keeping Your Family Secure

Stay vigilant about maintaining your electrical equipment and follow all safety recommendations to reduce your risk to a minimum. If you are concerned that your home is at risk of fire, have a qualified electrician inspect your electrical work and point out any danger areas without delay.

One of the best opportunities to save money is to convert Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium High Mast lights over to LED. A typical high mast light consists of a tall pole, 50-150 tall and contains multiple fixtures attached to the pole, typically 4 to 12. The lower poles may be equipped with 400W Metal Halide or High Pressure Sodium bulbs, the taller poles typically are installed with 1000W Metal Halide or High Pressure Sodium bulbs.

Question: – Gene Monteilh

Answer: There should be a replacement switch for this fan. It is called a “single pole, double throw” switch. If you need a Los Angeles electrician to install it, I’ll be happy to help you out. If you don’t live near Los Angeles, just call a local electrical contractor and tell him/her what you need and I’m sure they’ll be able to help you out. Good luck!

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Are you having power go out intermittently? Are some lights and receptacles working in some rooms while others are not? Are some outlets going out randomly, then coming back on again?

You may have a problem with corrosion at the meter main distribution panel outside.

Our salty air combined with humidity causes the aluminum wire connections at the panels to collect salt crystals and break down the conductive wires and termination points, causing weak conductivity or a break altogether. This could be a fire hazard. There could be a hot spot from an electrical arc or exposed live wires, not just the lights going out.

Solution? After determining that indeed the problem is the above with a diagnostic check; first, we need to call the utility company and have an on-call service man to come out and turn off the power coming in from the pole. Next, one of our licensed electricians will be there to clean off the metal parts inside the meter panel box. He will scrub the corroded aluminum electrical metal parts with a wire brush, cover the metal with a special spray to inhibit future corrosion, and then apply an antioxidant material to the jaws of the meter clips and wire screw down points. Finally, tighten everything up and have the utility man plug the meter back in.

Now that should do it.