Be sure to light your home the right way.
Electric lights are such a fixture of our everyday lives that we really don’t give them much thought. But every year, more than 28,000 residential electrical fires cause an estimated $1 billion in damage, according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). So those simple lighting projects deserve a little more attention.
According to the USFA, many electrical fires are the result of faulty electrical outlets and wiring. Bad cords, plugs and switches are other culprits. That’s why the best time to think about lighting is when you’re having it installed. Doing it properly can help prevent electrical fires.
For example, make sure your electrical circuits can handle the kind of lighting you’re installing. This is usually best left to a professional—especially if you’re putting in outdoor lighting, which must be installed even more meticulously to address weather challenges.
If you’re dealing with existing circuits, especially in an older home, have them inspected for bad wiring or other defects, especially if your lights flicker for no reason or your light switches are hot. And when you buy light fixtures or other electrical products, look for products tested by a recognized authority, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
Also, be careful about cords. If a lamp cord is worn or frayed, replace the cord or the whole lamp. Extension cords are another potential safety hazard, particularly outdoors. Be sure to us




options in the individually-purchased health insurance market, too. While group plans may still provide more robust coverage and will cover pre-existing medical conditions, individually-purchased plans may offer a stronger alternative than they did a couple years ago.
Myleene Klass kept her wedding plans well under wraps, but even she could not resist telling her fans on Friday that she has tied the knot. The TV presenter shared the news with fans via her Twitter page saying ‘I didn’t dream it! My husband and I.’ and attached a lovely photo of herself and beau Graham Quinn in their wedding attire. Most celebrities share the whole build up to their wedding day with their fans, but Myleene chose to do it her way. The nuptials were witnessed by only 16 attendees present – all friends and family – at the private ceremony in Norwich. Myleene Klass and Graham Quinn have been together since 2001 as the couple met while Quinn was a security guard for Klass’ former pop band Hear’Say. The couple got engaged in 2005, but had to postpone their wedding as their first child Ava was born in 2008 and baby Hero seven months ago. Both of their little girls were bridesmaids at their parents’ wedding and Myleene looked stunning in her Kate Halfpenny wedding gown paired with a full length lace-trimmed veil. Later on, Klass tweeted again: ‘Just Married!!!X’. It is refreshing to see celebrities keeping their wedding day a private affair instead of selling it to whichever magazines pays the most for exclusive photos. We wish them all th
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This article was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
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