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Every year, electrical fires caused due to poor cable installation cause irreparable damage to life and property, leaving thousands of families homeless and stranded and claiming hundreds of innocent lives. In the US alone, as per a report released by the National Fire Protection Association in 2006, an estimated 52500 US homes were affected in varying degrees by electrical fires causing the death of 340 lives and leaving more than 1000 people injured. The fires also caused significant property damage to the tune of $1.5 billion. The numbers have only gone up since then which is why fire protection agencies have started campaigns to educate people about the hazards of using electricity as well as information and safety tips on how to reduce the risk of electrical fire in your homes and commercial establishments.
The report also brought out the major factors of most electric fires in residential properties as well as smaller establishments. As per the report,
- The Majority of the fires, approximately 4 percent were caused by electrical failure or malfunction.
- 63 percent of electrical fires occurred due to wiring and related equipment.
- Approximately half (44 percent) of home fires originated in the bedroom, living room, family room, or den.
- In 32 percent of home fires, the first object to be catching fire happened to be the cable or wire insulation.
Most home and property owners are aware of the fact that frayed wiring and overloaded electrical circuits can result in electrical fires and are therefore able to take requisite precautions to prevent such an eventuality. But there are other less obvious factors that can also cause electrical fires that remain hidden within the property walls, often years after the actual installation, without warning and when least expected. Most property owners do not bother to check if the electrical installation meets safety standards, they simply assume that if an electrical installation is able to function, it must be meeting safety standards. If your electrical installation contains loose or nicked wires, poor grounding or a wrong wire size, there is a high likelihood of an electrical fire breaking out at some point or the other.
One of the basic principles of cable wiring is that subjecting them to high temperatures over a sustained period of time can prove to be a fire hazard. This can be especially true for properties with aluminum wiring. Ever since electricity was first introduced, electrical installations have found copper wiring to be the safest and most reliable. But as copper prices climbed up, aluminum wiring gained popularity in the interest of cost cutting. Being a poorer conductor of electricity than copper, aluminum wiring can be a fire hazard if subjected to abnormally high voltage.
Alternatives to rewiring
Since rewiring the entire property with copper is not economically feasible, installing copper terminals and lugs have emerged as a more practical solution. Here again, quality is of paramount importance since not all copper lugs and terminals have the ability to withstand high temperatures. Also electricity costs being what it is nowadays, it has become imperative to use high quality copper lugs and terminals that can not only help reduce electricity usage but also reduce the risk of fire. It is because of these very reasons that Copper lugs and terminals are so much in demand. copper lugs are designed for easy installation and removal and can be used to connect cables to any kind of electrical appliances from washing machines to toasters. They can also be used to connect two cables or to connect a cable to any other surface, for instance the clamps connecting the battery to the wires in a car is a popular example of cable lug.
copper lugs have emerged as the most effective solution to the hazards posed by old, frayed and faulty aluminum wiring. They are attached to the aluminum wire end through a special process called pigtailing and then connected to the electrical appliance or device to make it electrically safe for use. This method is only effective if the copper lug being used is able to connect effectively with the aluminum wire in terms of size and configuration, which is why cable lugs are so highly in demand. High quality copper terminals designed to specifications are needed to ensure the safety of people and property at any establishment and this is what BICC strives to achieve with the installation of copper lugs and terminals at every interface point.
Electrical Installation
Electrical industry in particular relies heavily on Copper lugs for large scale electric installations because of their extreme reliability and high quality. They are extensively used to terminate welding cable and battery cable ends for connecting to large electrical distribution blocks and fuse blocks. Made entirely from pure copper, cable lugs are preferred because they of their very high conductivity and ability to handle very high electric current.
BICC components Limited (BICC) manufactures and distributes a wide range of Copper Lugs or Copper Terminal, Cable Glands, Cable Connectors and Cable Cleats to save more electricity and reduce the risk of fire, which is designed, engineered and rigorously tested to withstand electrical fire faults in real world environments. To know more, visit https://www.bicccomponents.uk.com/. You can also visit https://www.bicccomponents.uk.com/contact-form/ to solve your queries or get a quote or drop an email to info@bicccomponents.uk.com.
