That Smell – Houston Electric Fire Prevention

Famous songs teach valuable lessons. That smell of burning plastic is trying to get your attention, and it’s important that you don’t ignore it.

Over the years, we’ve fixed plenty of problems that could have been prevented if the warning signs hadn’t been ignored. That smell is trying to tell you something, and we’re saying that your wallet and everyone in your house would be much happier if you take that smell seriously.

Once your brain registers what burning plastic smells like, you’ll never forget it. It smells bad for a reason. It’s signalling danger. It’s a warning.

When wires get too hot, the plastic insulation that surrounds every inch of them begins to melt and fill the room with that smell. Since most outlets are made of plastic, they’re equally prone to getting charred.

If you only remember one thing about this article, remember this. If you smell that smell and it goes away, that doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods. Not by a long shot.

With the insulation gone, the chances of bigger problems are much more likely. Without their natural protection, exposed wires are vulnerable to arcing and even fire.

Think about it for a second. Your outlets are literally mounted to wood and drywall that can burn easily. We’re not trying to scare you, but we are trying to convince you not to ignore that smell.

Once you smell that smell, you need to turn off that breaker and call an electrician. Even if the outlet works and even if the smell goes away, you are still at risk.

That smell is more likely to come after power surges and storms, so pay close attention the next time the clock on your microwave is flashing 12:00.

Lately, we’ve been seeing cheap outlets with USB charging give off that smell. Just because an outlet has great reviews doesn’t mean it’s not a problem waiting to happen.

There are plenty of places it’s perfectly fine to take a shortcut or ignore a warning, but that smell isn’t one of them.

Call Cravens today and say goodbye to that smell forever.