Electrical safety around the home

To most of us, electricity is simply flicking a switch or turning a dial to light up a room, cook supper or get instant entertainment. We take it for granted -- that is, until there's a power failure and we have to scramble to find flashlights, candles and matches in the dark.

Making your home safe and comfortable takes a deeper understanding. Let's start by remembering that the electricity we receive in our homes is part of a powerful, intricate system made up of power lines and generators. It generally enters our homes through power lines to a main switch at 120 to 240 volts. The main switch is clearly marked with an "on" and "off" position and controls all the power in the house.

All lighting or general use circuits in a home are protected by either "circuit breakers" in newer homes or fuses in older ones. You should always disconnect the power by moving the main switch to the "off" position when changing fuses or doing electrical work around the house. Never open the door of the main switch -- if you sense something is wrong, call your electricity supplier.

The panel box or fuse box from the main switch is the one that splits the power into circuits that go into all the rooms in your home. If you overload a circuit, say by plugging too many things in, the fuse may blow or the circuit breaker may trip, stopping the flow of power to that particular area.

In the basementIf you're looking for the breaker panels or fuse boxes in a home, you'll usually find them in the basement. They require little if any maintenance. Fuse boxes require the right type and size of fuses. Overloading circuits could cause power loss, or even lead to a fire.
If you detect rust in the fuse box, or if a fuse repeatedly blows for no apparent reason, if there is overheating, discoloration of fuses or flickering lights, contact an electrician to solve the problem.

Fuse changing
Use a flashlight if the area where the fuse box is located is dark.
Never change a fuse while standing on a wet floor.
Unplug appliances on the overloaded circuit and turn off the main switch.
Install the proper size fuse--most lighting and general use circuits are fused at 15 amps.
Keep the fuse box or breaker panel cover closed to protect children and prevent dirt from accumulating.
Look after your cords

Pull the plug when removing from electrical outlet. Pulling on the cord will wear it out and may create a shock hazard.
Keep cords away from heat and water, which can damage the insulation and create a shock hazard.
Never run electrical cords under rugs, through doorways or anywhere subject to excessive wear. This may lead to a fire hazard.

Never break off the third prong on a plug so it can fit into a two-prong outlet. This will create a shock hazard.

Regularly inspect all cords and plugs. To avoid fire, short circuits or shocks, discard all cords and plugs that are worn or damaged.

Plugging several cords into an outlet, or using an extension cord as permanent wiring, indicates that your home wiring is outdated for your needs and that you should have more outlets wired in.

Prevent pets from chewing electric cords by rubbing the cords with a bar of strong laundry soap.
Use electrical appliances carefully

Before buying, make sure it has a certification mark or seal ensuring electrical safety when the appliance is used properly.

Follow all the manufacturers instructions.
Never use any electric appliances around water. Even if your hands are wet, or you're standing on a wet floor, you cold get a shock or other injury. For example, be careful when using hair blowers and radios in the bath area.

Don't pry toast from a plugged-in toaster with a knife or a fork. If you want to avoid a shock, unplug the toaster first.
Never touch plugged-in appliances when your hands are wet. Always unplug them before cleaning.

If an appliance sparks, overheats or stalls, pull the plug and have it checked by a service person.
Other safety tips

Never touch power lines yourself or with any equipment. Take extra care when working near them. Before doing any digging, call your local hydro company to locate underground power lines. Cutting through one is dangerous and could black out an entire area.

When planting trees around your home, make sure they won't grow up into power lines. Don't attempt to prune or fell any trees near power lines yourself. Call your local hydro company. A tree falling into a power line can be very dangerous.

Power tools should have a three-prong plug or double insulation. Keep them in good condition and never use power tools on wet grass or other wet surfaces. If you need an extension cord, use a proper, three-prong, grounded cord.

Glossary of Real Estate Terms

If you're buying a home for the very first time, the process may seem a little daunting. After all, buying a home is probably one of the biggest investments you'll ever make. It helps to have a REALTOR® on your team -- someone who speaks the language of real estate very well.

A REALTOR® has the experience and the knowledge to guide you through the process of buying your first home and can help take the mystery out of the many terms, phrases and clauses you will encounter.

The following glossary, an excerpt from the Ontario Real Estate Association's "How to Buy Your Home" book, provides definitions of some of the most common real estate terms you are likely to come across.

The book also fully explains the process of buying a home and is available free-of-charge by calling 1-800-563-HOME or talk to your local REALTOR®.

Amortization: The number of years it takes to repay the entire amount of a mortgage.

Appraisal: An estimate of a property's market value, used by lenders in determining the amount of the mortgage.

Appreciation: The increase of a property's value over time.

Assessment: The value of a property set by the local municipality, for the purposes of calculating property tax.

Assumable Mortgage: A mortgage held on a property by the seller that can be taken over by the buyer, who then accepts responsibility for making the mortgage payments.

Blended Mortgage: A combination of two mortgages, one with a higher interest rate than the other, to create a new mortgage with an interest rate somewhere between the two original rates.

Blended Mortgage Payments: Equal or regular mortgage payments, consisting of both a principal and an interest component. With each successive payment, the amount applied to interest decreases and the amount applied to the principal increases, although the total payment doesn't change. (Exception - see variable rate mortgages.)

Bridge Financing: Money borrowed against a homeowner's equity in a property, usually for a short term, to help finance the purchase of another property or make improvements to a property being sold.

Buy-down: When the seller reduces the interest rate on a mortgage by paying the difference between the reduced rate and market rate directly to the lender or to the purchaser, in one lump sum or monthly instalments.

Closing: The real estate transaction's completion, when the parties involved agree that all legal and financial obligations have been met, and the deed to the property is transferred from the seller to the buyer.

Conventional Mortgage: A first mortgage issued for up to 75 per cent of the property's appraised value or purchase price, whichever is lower.

Counteroffer: One party's written response to the other party's offer during purchase negotiations between buyer and seller.

Debt Service Ratio: The percentage of a borrower's gross income that can be used for housing costs, including mortgage payment and taxes (and condominium fees, when applicable).

Deed: A legal document that conveys (transfers) ownership of a property to the buyer.

Easement: A legal right to use or cross (right-of-way) another person's land for limited purposes. A common example is a utility company's right to run wires or lay pipe across a property.

Encroachment: An intrusion onto an adjoining property -- such as a neighbor's fence, storage shed or overhanging roof line that partially (or even fully) intrudes onto your property.

Equity: The difference between the price for which a property can be sold and the mortgage(s) on the property. Equity is the owner's "stake" in a property.
Foreclosure: A legal process by which the lender takes possession and ownership of a property when the borrower defaults on the mortgage obligations.

High-Ratio Mortgage: A mortgage for more than 75 per cent of a property's appraised value or purchase price.

Land Transfer Tax: Payment to the provincial government for transferring property from the seller to the buyer.

Lien: Any legal claim against a property, filed to ensure payment of a debt.
Mortgagee: The lender.

Mortgage Insurance: Government-backed or private-backed insurance protecting the lender against the borrower's default on high-ratio (and other types) of mortgages.

Mortgagor: The borrower.

Multiple Listing Service (MLS): A system for relaying information to REALTORS® about properties for sale.

Prepayment Privilege: A mortgage feature that allows the borrower to prepay a portion or all of the principal balance with or without penalty. This privilege is frequently restricted to specific amounts and times.

Principal: The mortgage amount initially borrowed, or the portion still owing on the mortgage. Interest is calculated on the principal amount.

Status Certificate: A written statement of a condominium unit's current financial and legal status.

Variable-Rate Mortgage: A mortgage for which payments are fixed, but whose interest rate changes in relationship to fluctuating market interest rates. If market rates go up, a larger portion of the payment goes to interest. If rates go down, a larger portion of the payment is applied to the principal.

Vendor-Take-Back Mortgage: When sellers use their equity in a property to provide some or all of the mortgage financing in order to sell the property.

Zoning Regulations: Strict guidelines set by municipal governments regulating how a property may or may not be used.