Hazards in the home

In a new study sponsored by the Home Safety Council and New York-based GarageTek, 33 percent of respondents said a garage-related injury had occurred in their homes, and nearly 60 percent of all garage users said they didn’t dwell on the safety hazards in their garages.

The findings paint only a partial picture of the possible dangers existing in seemingly tranquil homes.

Bob Sisson, who runs Inspections by Bob in Boyds, says undetectable wiring hazards often lurk under the kitchen sink. Garbage disposal units typically involve a clamp at the bottom of the unit, but often that clamp is loose or a stray wire peeks out from it.

“It’s amazing what you find under kitchen sinks,” Mr. Sisson says.

Another hidden kitchen-related danger can be found at the sink’s faucet.

Many homeowners set their water heater’s thermostat at too high a temperature. The proper heating range is around 120 degrees, Mr. Sisson says, but often the heaters are cranked up as high as 140 degrees.

It takes up to six minutes of exposure to 120-degree water for an adult male to get burned but only a few seconds for a burn to develop at the highest range, he says.

“Children, women and the elderly burn much faster,” he adds.

The danger exists primarily for children, who may not pull their hands from a hot faucet in time to avoid a burn.

Another kitchen-based problem can be found with stoves that aren’t properly secured. Stand-alone stoves should be anchored to the floor with an anti-tip bracket, he says, something many homeowners don’t know.

“If kids want to reach something on top of the stove and they don’t feel like dragging a chair over, they’ll open the oven door and stand on it,” he says. “The whole stove comes crashing on top of them.”

A homeowner can test to see whether a bracket is in place by grabbing the back of the stove and pulling it forward.

“It shouldn’t move,” he says.

Mike Plank, owner of the Richmond-based American Home Inspector Directory, says electrical problems can hide anywhere in a home.

“That’s one of the most common reasons for house fires,” Mr. Plank says regarding improper wiring. Having too many extension cords can be the culprit, but so, too, are antiquated electrical boxes under the home. In such hard-to-reach areas, wires sometimes literally can be hanging out for all to see — and touch.

Story Continues →