Don't Get Zapped

IsYourHome Safe? 12 Don’t Get Zapped! ’ 1. Overloaded outlets 2. Worn or frayed appliance cords or extension cords 3. Electric cords running under rugs or furniture legs 4. Kitchen or bathroom appliances used near water 5. Electric heaters close to anything that can burn 6. Circuit breakers that trip (or fuses that blow) often Toaster oven 1200 10 Iron 1080 Portable heater 1500 Television 168 Answering machine 6 Coffee maker 900 Microwave oven 996 Vacuum cleaner 1224 Overload Alert! Which three appliances could you run at the same time from a 20-amp kitchen circuit? ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Which two appliances would overload that circuit if you were to use them at the same time? ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Think About It! Have you ever overloaded a circuit? What happened? LOOK FOR OK NEEDS FIXING FIXED Use this checklist to inspect your home with a parent or other adult. APPLIANCE WATTS AMPS M ost household circuits are rated for 15 amps (20 amps for kitchen circuits). If you runmultiple appliances at the same time on a single circuit, and their combined amps exceed the amps of that circuit, the wiring could get overloaded, melting insulation and causing a shock or fire hazard. That’s when fuses should blow or circuit breakers cut power to prevent problems. Determine the amps used by each appliance in the table. Assume 120 volts and use the formula watts / volts = amps. (Example: For the toaster oven, 1200 watts / 120 volts = 10 amps.) Amperage (amps for short) is a measure of the AMOUNT of electricity used. Voltage (volts) measures the pressure, or FORCE, of electricity. The amps multiplied by the volts gives you the wattage (watts), a measure of the WORK