Words from a Fire Investigator

Electric hazard

Recently there have been issues reported after customers had a Smart Meter installed by Commonwealth Edison. These issues may be related to the age of your electrical service. I urge all residents to contact ComEd for any temporary loss of service, lights flashing, loss of one leg of service (phase), smell of wires burning or buzzing noises around your exterior service meter. Also if you have an older home or electric service you may benefit from having an electrician check the connections in your service boxes. Any loose connection can lead to arcing which is a fire hazard.

Bathroom Exhaust Fan Warning

The reports of attic fires caused by bathroom vent fans seems to be increasing. Moisture/steam causes hair, fuzz and dirt to collect around the fan and motor assembly which in time can cause the motor to overheat. The fan has a built in circuit breaker which should trip when overheating occurs. This does fail.

I recommend that your bathroom vent fan be placed on a timer switch so that this prevents the fan from being left on. Timer switches can be purchased at any home improvement or hardware store. These switches should be installed by a licensed electrician.

What is that fish smell

A post taken from Facebook
A few weeks ago a mother smelled a fish like odor in one of her son’s bedroom but could not find a cause. She deep cleaned the room but still could not figure out what was causing the smell. Within a few days the smell went away. The odor returned and was horribly strong this time. She was still unable to locate the source and decided to google what can cause a fish smell in the home. The first thing that came up was melting plastic from outlets. She checked the room and found an outlet that was hot and melting at the plugs where a transformer was plugged in.

This could have started a fire if any combustible material was touching the outlet or transformer.

Thank You Katie for posting your story.

I would advise everyone to keep items clear from any outlet because heat from the power draw may be enough to cause a fire.

Never place extension cords under rugs, carpeting or furniture. Heat from the power draw can cause a fire. Cords need air movement to keep them cool.