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. You would be wise to have it tested before use. Whether you buy an electrical appliance or were given one, don't use it until you have it safety-checked by an electrician, or service technician with relevant competency.
Look for:
- Missing guards, broken pieces
- Burned, cut, cracked, or frayed flexes
- Signs of scorching, melting, or 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 a 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, or flexes
- Kinks in rubber or fabric-covered flexes.
If you find any of these problems, stop using the appliance and have it repaired by an electrician. If you have a defective extension cord, then have it replaced.
Checklist
A few simple checks to determine safety.
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