3 Precautions to Take Around Water and Electricity

In the movie, What Women Want, Mel Gibson’s character falls into a bathtub while holding a hair dryer.  The electrical shock that ensues suddenly allows him to hear women’s thoughts.

That, as you probably assumed, is NOT what happens when electricity and water mix.

Instead, mixing electricity with water can result in dangerous and even deadly consequences.  According to Chris Deziel of “Sciencing”, “The water in natural sources, such as lakes and streams, as well that in pools and hot tubs, is an excellent electricity conductor….”

Water and electricity don’t mix.

When it comes to water and electricity, it is important to take the following precautions.

3 Precautions to Take Around Water and Electricity

1. Be careful of wet hands

Without realizing it, we often have wet hands when handling electricity.  Have you ever grabbed the hair dryer right out of the shower?  Or, plugged in a blender right after washing the fruit to go in it?  Take notice and take the time to thoroughly dry your hands first.

2. Watch out for spilling water on electrical devices

Be careful of carrying buckets, glasses, or pitches of water and choose where to set them down wisely.  If water does get spilled, turn off the circuit breaker before unplugging the device.  Don’t use it again until it’s dry.  When in doubt, contact an electrician. (George Brazil)

3. Don’t place electrical devices or outlets close to water

We can’t always determine where electrical outlets are in our home, but if you have outlets close to water sources in the kitchen or bathroom, be aware of them.

Don’t keep plugged in electronics where they can come into contact with water.  It may be tempting to have your cell phone with you while taking a bath, but if it is charging, the consequences could be deadly.

For more information about electrical safety, contact FLAME!