Keeping Your Family Safe Starts with Electrical Awareness
Electrical safety is something most homeowners don’t think about until something goes wrong. But with an estimated 51,000 electrical fires occurring in U.S. homes each year—along with hundreds of electrocutions and thousands of injuries—it’s a topic that deserves attention. This is especially true in New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana, where aging homes, high humidity, frequent storms, and unique construction styles create electrical challenges you won’t find in many other parts of the country.
At CR Electric LLC, our licensed master electricians have been keeping Louisiana homes safe for over 25 years. Here are ten electrical safety tips every homeowner in the New Orleans metro area should know and practice.
1. Know the Age and Condition of Your Wiring
New Orleans and its surrounding communities are full of beautiful older homes—many dating back 50, 75, or even 100 years or more. While the architecture is charming, the wiring often is not. Homes built before the 1960s may still have knob-and-tube wiring. Homes from the late 1960s and early 1970s may have aluminum branch circuit wiring, which is a known fire hazard. Homes from the 1970s and 1980s may have wiring with degraded insulation.
If you don’t know what type of wiring your home has, or if it hasn’t been inspected in the last decade, schedule an electrical inspection. Understanding your wiring’s condition is the foundation of electrical safety in an older home.
2. Don’t Overload Your Outlets and Circuits
Plugging too many devices into a single outlet or circuit is one of the most common electrical hazards in homes. This is particularly tempting in older New Orleans homes that may have fewer outlets per room than modern construction standards require. Homeowners resort to power strips, extension cords, and multi-outlet adapters to compensate, but this can overload the circuit and create a fire risk.
Rules to follow:
- Never daisy-chain power strips (plugging one power strip into another)
- Use power strips with built-in overload protection and surge suppression
- Don’t run high-draw appliances (space heaters, window AC units, hair dryers) on the same circuit
- If you consistently need more outlets, have a licensed electrician add additional circuits and receptacles
3. Install GFCI Protection in All Wet Areas
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlets are designed to prevent electrocution by cutting power when they detect current leaking to ground—such as through water or a person’s body. Modern electrical code requires GFCI protection in bathrooms, kitchens, garages, outdoor areas, laundry rooms, and crawl spaces.
Many older Louisiana homes lack GFCI protection in some or all of these areas. Upgrading is relatively inexpensive and could save a life. Test your existing GFCI outlets monthly by pressing the “Test” button—the outlet should click off. Press “Reset” to restore power. If a GFCI doesn’t trip when tested, it needs to be replaced immediately.
4. Address Flickering Lights Promptly
Flickering lights are not just annoying—they can indicate serious wiring problems. While a single flickering bulb is usually just a loose bulb or failing fixture, widespread flickering or lights that dim when you turn on an appliance can indicate:
- Loose wiring connections (fire hazard)
- An overloaded circuit or panel
- A failing main breaker
- Problems with the utility connection to your home
Don’t ignore persistent flickering. Have it evaluated by a licensed electrician to determine the cause and prevent potential hazards.
5. Never Ignore Warm Outlets, Burning Smells, or Discoloration
An outlet or switch plate that feels warm to the touch, emits a burning smell, or shows scorch marks or discoloration is experiencing a potentially dangerous condition. These are signs of arcing, loose connections, or overloaded wiring—all of which can lead to electrical fires.
If you notice any of these signs:
- Stop using the outlet or switch immediately
- Unplug any devices connected to it
- If you can safely access your panel, turn off the breaker for that circuit
- Call a licensed electrician before using the outlet or switch again
6. Be Prepared for Electrical Issues After Storms
Louisiana’s storm season brings unique electrical hazards. High winds can damage overhead service lines, water intrusion can affect wiring and panels, and power surges during outages and restoration can damage equipment. After any significant storm:
- Never touch downed power lines or anything in contact with them. Always assume they are live and call your utility immediately
- If your home has experienced flooding, do not enter until the power has been disconnected by your utility company. Water and electricity are a lethal combination
- After power is restored, watch for signs of damage: tripping breakers, flickering lights, burning smells, or non-functioning circuits
- Consider having a post-storm electrical inspection, especially if your home experienced flooding or significant wind damage
- Use surge protectors on sensitive electronics to guard against power surges during restoration
7. Keep Your Electrical Panel Accessible
Your electrical panel is your home’s emergency shutoff for all electrical circuits. In an emergency, you need to be able to reach it quickly and operate it safely. Yet we frequently find panels blocked by storage boxes, furniture, shelving, or even hidden behind drywall during renovations.
NEC code requires a minimum of 36 inches of clear space in front of the panel, 30 inches wide, and clear to the ceiling. Make sure every adult in your household knows where the panel is and how to shut off the main breaker in an emergency. Label all breakers clearly so you can identify and isolate specific circuits when needed.
8. Use Extension Cords Correctly—Or Better Yet, Add Outlets
Extension cords are designed for temporary use, not as permanent wiring solutions. Yet in many older New Orleans homes, extension cords become semi-permanent fixtures running under rugs, through doorways, and behind furniture. This is a significant fire hazard:
- Extension cords under rugs can overheat without anyone noticing
- Cords routed through doorways or windows can be pinched, damaging the insulation
- Lightweight extension cords used for high-draw appliances can overheat and melt
- Damaged cords with exposed wiring are shock and fire hazards
If you find yourself relying on extension cords regularly, the real solution is to have additional outlets and circuits installed by a licensed electrician. It’s a modest investment that eliminates a serious safety risk.
9. Protect Your Home with Whole-House Surge Protection
Power surges can enter your home through utility lines, phone lines, and cable lines. While small surges from appliances cycling on and off happen daily and cause gradual damage to electronics, large surges from lightning strikes and utility switching can destroy equipment instantly. Louisiana’s frequent thunderstorms make whole-house surge protection especially important.
A whole-house surge protector is installed at your electrical panel and provides a first line of defense against surges entering through the utility lines. Combined with point-of-use surge protectors at sensitive electronics, this two-layer approach provides comprehensive protection. CR Electric installs whole-house surge protection systems as a standalone upgrade or as part of a panel upgrade.
10. Hire Licensed Electricians for All Electrical Work
This may be the most important tip of all. Electrical work is not a suitable DIY project for homeowners. Improperly done electrical work is a leading cause of electrical fires and electrocutions. In Louisiana, electrical work requires a licensed electrician, and most projects require permits and inspections from your local jurisdiction.
Hiring an unlicensed handyman or attempting electrical work yourself creates multiple risks:
- Fire and electrocution hazards from improper wiring
- Code violations that can affect your ability to sell your home
- Insurance issues—many policies don’t cover damage from unpermitted work
- Liability exposure if someone is injured
Always verify that your electrician is licensed through the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. At CR Electric, our team consists of licensed master electricians with over 25 years of experience. We pull permits, pass inspections, and stand behind every job we do. Learn more about our residential electrical repair services.
Stay Safe, Stay Informed
Electrical safety doesn’t require specialized knowledge—it requires awareness and the willingness to address problems promptly rather than ignoring them. Most electrical emergencies are preceded by warning signs that homeowners either didn’t notice or chose to overlook. By following these ten tips and partnering with a trusted licensed electrician, you can keep your home and family safe.
Have electrical safety concerns about your home? CR Electric has been the trusted electrician for New Orleans metro homeowners for over 25 years. Call us at (504) 737-6024 (Southshore) or (985) 400-8141 (Northshore), or schedule a free electrical safety evaluation.
