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ElectroPros, LLC. today announced the launch of www.ElectroPros.com as an information portal for Will County area home owners to find information about electrical safety, and home improvement tips.

Every year, electrical fires result in thousands of injuries, hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage and, in some cases, even death. While some fires are caused by faulty products, many more are caused by the misuse and poor maintenance of electrical equipment, incorrectly installed wiring, overloaded circuits and misapplied extension cords. Smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and escape ladders are all examples of emergency equipment used in homes to take action when a fire occurs. A device called an Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter, or AFCI, is a residential circuit breaker designed to detect arcing faults and thus prevent fires from occurring in the first place. Arcing can occur when you're hanging a picture and inadvertently pierce a wire in the wall, when old wires fray or when you string extension cords together to run fans or space heaters. Approximately 2,300 injuries, 67,800 fires and 485 deaths occur each year that can be associated with home wiring, totaling $868 million in property losses. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that "AFCI devices may address 50 percent or more of these fires."

According to the U.S. Fire Administration,* home electrical problems accounted for an estimated 67,800 fires and $868 million in property losses in 2003. Electrical fires also cause an estimated 485 deaths annually and injure almost 2,300 more individuals. For this reason, the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) suggests that homeowners consider installing AFCI protection in general purpose circuits throughout the home.

The Missouri Division of Fire Safety concluded in December of last year that the cause of the fire remained undetermined. But the report noted that it most likely began in the attic on the north end of the home and that an electrical short circuit in that area could not be eliminated as a possible cause. A maintenance man employed by the home who was working on its furnaces the day of the fire told investigators that he deliberately short-circuited an electrical line that ran through the attic just hours before the fire. He reportedly shorted the wiring because he did not know which switch in a breaker box controlled one of the furnaces he was repairing and wanted to switch that breaker off.

Use ESFI material to increase electrical safety awareness in your home, workplace and your community. Most ESFI electrical safety information is available to download free of charge.

Such was the case for California parents who should not have let their seven-year-old and nine-year-old daughters play in a filled bathtub near a hair dryer, especially when the dryer should not have been plugged in, and the outlet should have had a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). Both children died when the dryer fell into the bathtub.

As our reliance on electricity grows, the potential for misuse of home appliances, computers and entertainment equipment means the need for electrical safety awareness for the family is far more important. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) urges consumers to become more knowledgeable about electrical safety by offering free tips on what you can do to protect your family from electrical dangers.

Whirlpool is next in line to show off a concept that could purportedly hack down your energy bill

I’m sure that some of you remember Jini, an initiative launched in 1998 by Bill Joy of Sun Microsystems. This software was supposed to turn all the devices we use into ‘network citizens,’ as Joy said. It never really worked. And even if the electronic devices we own are increasingly network compatible, they still are unable to work together intelligently. This is why the European Union has funded a project to allow your fridge or your TV to communicate with your phone or your PC. This project, named Amigo, will end in February 2008 and was granted €13 millions by the EU. This project enrolled powerful partners such as France Telecom, Microsoft or Philips which pay the rest of the bill, expected to reach €23 millions. The researchers think their approach will be successful because it’s an entirely open source project and everyone can participate. But read more…

Electrical Safety Answers

MORE than 80 per cent of Londoners have had an electric shock in their own home. Dodgy electrical appliances are the chief culprit, accounting for more than a fifth of all shocks, and 17 per cent of Londoners got a jolt while using cutlery to unblock a toaster.

Now, in a bid to prevent a repeat of this tragedy, close friend Michelle Winfield is calling for all electrical and gas appliances at homes for sale to receive an independent inspection so their safety can be certified.

Walsall Housing Group (whg) is pioneering a new electrical safety check for its residents, which will help spot electrical problems in people’s homes.

Staying safe inside your home can come down to some simple common sense precautions, Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative President Randy Hee said Friday.