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Electrical shocks and burns send around 2,400 kids to the hospital each year.
Electrical shocks and burns are an unfortunate consequence that can occur when children play with household electrical outlets. Children inserting foreign objects into household electrical outlets cause a third of electrical-related injuries. A child’s curiosity can lead to tragedy when you’ve only looked away for just a moment. Childproofing is an excellent way to reduce electrical accidents. Installing tamper-resistant receptacles can make your home safer and protect your children.
What Are Tamper-Resistant Receptacles?
Tamper-resistant receptacles, also referred to as TRRs, look very much like the wall outlets you already have in your home. What makes them different is that they have spring-loaded shutters that close the receptacle openings. When a plug is inserted, it compresses the springs, allowing the shutters to open so the plug’s metal prongs can make contact. With a tamper-resistant receptacle, both receptacle openings must receive pressure at the same time to move the shutters, preventing accidents caused when a child inserts an object into one side of the outlet.
Why Use Tamper-Resistant Outlets?
Plastic outlet covers have been a popular childproofing device for many years. But these covers must be removed each time you need to plug something in and can be lost or forgotten about, which leaves the outlet exposed. These small pieces can also pose a choking hazard. Children can learn to operate sliding outlet covers by watching parents use them, defeating their purpose.
The 2008 National Electric Code mandated that tamper-resistant receptacles be used for all new construction, so if your home was built since then, you should already have these receptacles in place. They are also required to be installed in renovated dwellings. If you live in an older home, consider upgrading your electrical receptacles for the safety of your family. Hire a licensed electrician to safely install tamper-resistant receptables in your home.
How Much Do Tamper-Resistant Receptacles Cost?
The price of tamper-resistant receptacles varies based on the style of device you choose, but they generally add about 50 cents to the cost of each receptacle being installed, compared to a standard, unprotected model. There are approximately 75 receptacles in the average home, so upgrading an entire new home to tamper-resistant receptacles would cost less than $40 — a small price to pay for the safety of your family.
This article originally appeared on the Mister Sparky blog.
About this Experts Contributor: Christopher Maderazzo is the owner of Mister Sparky Electric located in Phoenix. Established in 2009, Mister Sparky focuses on providing excellent customer service. They promise to provide service free if they're late to an appointment. You can follow this service provider on Twitter.
As of Sept. 17, 2015, this service provider was highly rated on Angie's List. Ratings are subject to change based on consumer feedback, so check Angie's List for the most up-to-date reviews. The views expressed by this author do not necessarily reflect those of Angie's List.