Tools For Electrical Safety In The Home.

Although you may not be a qualified electrician there is a great deal you can do to check for safety.

When doing DIY projects one of the hazards is drilling into a cable.  You can avoid any problems by getting hold of a cable detector.  You can get one for a couple of pounds; they are a simple device that you can run down a wall.  With the button pressed they emit a continuous bleep, when you are near a cable they will emit a series of short beeps, indicating the places to avoid.

Another useful tool is a socket tester, again not an expensive gadget, but one that can save lives.  They are like an ordinary plug with a series of lights on the back.  Simply plug it in, switch on the socket and look at the lights.  If you see three green lights all is well.  If one of the lights is red there is a problem, the middle light gives information about the earth connection. The light on the left tells you about the state of the live pin, the one on the left covers the neutral pin.

The cable detector will also tell you if a socket is live.

If the face plate on a light switch or power socket is damaged in any way you should get it replaced immediately.  Whatever you do you should not use it. Worn light switches should be replaced as well.  You can tell if a switch is worn, it will crackle when you operate it.