Checking Second-Hand Appliances
[ Last Updated 3 July 2007 ]
Let Your "Common Senses" Help Keep You Safe: Look, Listen, Smell for Electrical Hazards
Before you buy a used electrical appliance, inspect it carefully for evidence of damage or past abuse and realise that you will be wise to have it tested before use. Whether you buy it or are given it, don't use it until you have had it safety-checked by your local power company or by a registered electrician.
Look for:
- Missing guards, broken pieces
- Burned, cut, cracked, frayed flexes
- Signs of scorching, melting, blistering
- Bare wires
- Overloaded wall sockets
- Smoke, sparks
Listen for:
- Fizzing, spluttering
- Erratic, stop-start running
Smell for:
- Fumes, smoke, "something burning". This means over-loading or overheating - and fire risk.
You may feel:
- Electric shock - severe or mild, and not just from electrical appliances. It could be from plumbing, sink unit, etc.
- Loose parts, broken switches
- Hot spots on appliances, wall sockets, flexes
- Kinks in rubber or fabric-covered flexes
If you find any of these problems, stop using the appliance and have it repaired by a registered electrician, or if you have a defective extension cord, have it replaced.
Checklist
A few simple checks to determine safety.
Back to Top