Outlet Safety in Your Home – 3 Hazards to Look For

As electricians at Lake of the Ozarks, we are always focused on electrical safety. We never want our clients to have an issue with fire, shorts, or shocks because of an unnoticed or unaddressed safety hazard. There are a few common safety hazards that we notice more often than others when we are in our clients’ homes. We care deeply about our clients safety, so, we wanted to share three common safety hazards related to the outlets in your home. If you notice any of these, you can contact Catalyst Electric to have them corrected. Just keep reading to find out what they are.

1) Ungrounded Outlets

If you have any outlets in your home that only have two holes instead of three, that means they are not grounded. It may mean that your entire home has not been wired with a ground wire. Using an adapter is not the solution. In fact you can’t just change the outlet either. You have to add a ground wire which may involve rewiring the electrical panel to a three wire circuit. Only an experienced electrical contractor at Lake of the Ozark should be hired to make that type of repair.

2) No GFCI Outlets

GFCI outlets are recommended and/or required for any electrical source that is near water. If there is any chance of water reaching that electrical outlet, or if it is in a high moisture area, it should be a GFCI outlet. GFCI’s will cut off electricity if there’s a short or water gets in the outlet. The purpose is to prevent someone from being accidentally shocked. Replacing the outlets in your bathroom and kitchen, outside, and in high moisture areas, is not an expensive thing to have done, and it is well worth the peace of mind and safety it provides.

3) Outlets are Not Childproof

It used to be that the only way to childproof an outlet was to put plastic plug covers on. But even they aren’t foolproof. Now you can get outlets that actually have little doors behind the holes where you insert the plug. This prevents things from being stuck into the outlet like a little fingers. You can actually see the doors on the outlet, so if your outlets do not have these, call Catalyst Electric and let us get that taken care of for you.

If you’re not sure of the safety of your home's outlets and electrical system, give Catalyst Electric a call. We can look for these hazards as well as others and make sure that you are safe and sound in your home. While it may not be fun to find out your outlets are not grounded, it is extremely important to know so you can have proper wiring and avoid the potential for fire and electrocution. Life is full of hazards, but some of them are preventable. That’s where we come in. We want our clients to know when things are not safe, and provide practical solutions to correct them. If you have any questions about electrical services at Lake of the Ozarks, feel free to give us a call. We will also continue to share helpful tips and information on social media, so be sure to follow us on your favorite social media platform using the links below.

Quality Work With Integrity

 Catalyst Electric: Best electrician service at the Lake of the Ozarks  


1106 Runabout Drive
Osage Beach, Mo 65065
(573) 552-8488 -Phone
(573) 552-8248 -Fax



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Location: Osage Beach, MO 65065, USA

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