The eight dangerous heatwave mistakes you should avoid to keep your home safe during hot weather
AS the UK heats up, households are cranking up fans and air conditioners to stay cool.
Temperatures are set to hit 28 degrees in London whereas other parts of the UK could hit 25 degrees.
As hot weather hits the UK, we’ve rounded up common mistakes that could increase the risk of house fires and electric shocks.
Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, warns: “As temperatures soar, we expect shoppers will scramble for fans and other appliances in a bid to stay cool.
“Many will be tempted by cheaper versions they may see on social media or via online marketplaces.”
This could endanger your home and its occupants.
A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade added: “Electrical products are the fourth biggest fire risk in the home.
“It’s crucial to use any device according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.”
Stay safe and cool this summer with these essential tips.
1. BE COOL, NOT STUPID
Keeping cool in hot weather is essential and you may be tempted to copy tricks you see on social media.
You may have seen TikTok creators tie bags of ice to their fans in a bid to create “portable AC” to cool down their rooms.
Some have even put frozen towels over their fans to try to keep them cool.
Both of these could leave you at serious risk of electric shock, as water risks coming into contact with the motor.
Electrical Safety First advises everyone to ignore these videos that can garner hundreds of thousands of views.
Giuseppe said: “Avoid being lured in by viral heatwave hacks you see on social media also, it’s not uncommon for these hacks to expose you to the risk of electric shock.”
2. DON’T LEAVE YOUR APPLIANCE ON OVERNIGHT
It may be tempting to keep the cool air flowing as the nights become humid, but households are putting themselves at risk if their devices fail while they are sleeping.
However, ESF advises turning your fan or portable air conditioner off before going to sleep.
Giuseppe said: “How you use your fan is equally important, and as tempting as it might be to keep it on throughout the night, we advise against it.
“In the event a fault occurs with your fan during the night your response time is greatly reduced when you’re asleep.”
If you must keep it on, the charity says households must ensure that smoke alarms are in working order.
3. NEVER BUY FANS FROM ONLINE MARKETPLACES
Purchasing electric fans from online marketplaces could leave you vulnerable to substandard and potentially dangerous products.
Giuseppe said: “Safety begins with where you shop, and we always advise sticking to reputable high street retailers where you know your product will be made to a high standard.”
Last month, The Sun reported how one viral hot weather gadget could leave you at risk of electric shock.
These dangerous fans, which connect directly to lightbulb sockets in ceiling pendants, have flooded online marketplaces in recent weeks.
They work like traditional ceiling fans but don’t require a fixed connection, meaning homeowners can simply plug them in without calling an electrician.
They appear to be easy to use by screwing in to a standard pendant light fitting common to most homes.
However, warned that the products are dangerous and could lead to electric shock.
At the time, Giuseppe said: “Ceiling fans, by their design, are in no way suitable to be used in light fittings, and this new trend is just another example of how viewers can be unknowingly encouraged to misuse products.
“The added weight of fixing a motor to your light fitting risks not only damaging it, but risks cables becoming damaged due to the excessive strain and motion they will be exposed to over time.
“For that reason, we have much wider concerns about the quality of these products.
How can I spot potentially dangerous items online?
THERE are a number of ways you can check to see if an item you've bought online could be substandard.
Electrical Safety First recommends that shoppers always inspect the packaging and any items purchased online carefully.
Tell-tale signs of substandard items include plugs without fuses, non-UK plugs, lack of instructions or spelling mistakes and grammatical errors on the packaging.
You should never buy on price alone either. Not all bargains are worth it if the item isn’t the real deal.
All electrical products are required to have a label bearing the manufacturer’s name or trademark and other marks such as CE or UKCA.
This information is normally on the product itself. However, these can still be copied and applied to counterfeit products.
Electrical Safety First only recommends buying from a retailer you trust, either directly from the manufacturer or from a trusted high street name.
This is because online marketplaces are not currently required by law to check the safety of products sold on their sites, whereas traditional high-street shops are.
4. PLACEMENT IS KEY
It’s always vital to place your fan or air conditioner on a flat stable surface.
For example, if your fan is balanced precariously on the edge of a surface, it could tip over, causing the blades to hit the guard and putting the motor under additional strain.
This could also potentially break your fan altogether.
Portable air conditioners come with the added risk of electrical shock.
This is because they often contain small tanks of water, which could splash into plug sockets or other electrical outlets nearby if they tip over.
5. KEEP YOUR APPLIANCES CLEAN
If the vents or the motor of a fan build up with dust, there are two risks.
Firstly, the motor may be placed under additional strain from the dust and grime.
But the dust could also become a source of ignition if the motor were to overheat.
Always clean your vents to ensure your fan works efficiently and is kept in good condition.
Make sure to unplug your fan and follow the manufacturer’s instructions before opening the guard or attempting to clean the fan.
6. DON’T IGNORE BUZZING OR HISSING SOUNDS
If your fan emits a faint buzzing sound, it may be a sign of an electrical fault or “arcing”.
Always ensure your fan is plugged in securely.
If you notice any smell of burning or unusual noises, turn it off immediately.
If you have a portable air conditioner that is switched off but emits a hissing sound, you may have a refrigerant leak.
The gas used in air conditioner refrigerant is usually colourless and odourless.
However, a leak could be detrimental to your health, it can cause headaches, respiratory distress, dizziness, nausea and fatigue.
7. CHECK FOR WEAR AND TEAR
We often keep our cooling appliances for years, storing them away in the cooler months where damage may occur to cables.
Always check your device to ensure the cables are in good condition.
Using an appliance with frayed and worn cables puts you at risk of both electric shock and fire.
8. STAY SAFE WHEN USING LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES
If your appliances or gadgets, including smartphones, are powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, there are extra precautions you should consider during the hot weather.
You should always ensure your device is not exposed to direct sunlight for long periods of time.
Sunlight exposure increases the risk of lithium-ion batteries overheating.
Lithium-ion batteries are extremely sensitive to high temperatures and inherently flammable.
These fires quickly spread and are hard to put out, causing a lot of damage.
These batteries also present a fire risk when over-charged, short-circuited, submerged in water or damaged.