Check Your Electric Products

Oita Godo Newspaper (morning edition on September 14, 2009)

Household electric products which have been used for a long time tend to get old and loss the proper condition to work. These may cause small accidents or until severe ones like fire. Let's check our electric products and stop using them if they are not in a good condition for our own and family's safety.

Some examples of bad signs to be careful;

Electric fan:  Even though the switch is ON, the fan does not run. The motor is very hot and smells like burned. The cord is bended.

Washing machine: The water is leaking onto the floor. There is a lot of dust compressed inside the plug. Strange sound is heard when the machine is working.

Air conditioner: The cord or the plug is irregularly hot. The water is dripping from the indoor pipe. The breaker often cuts out.

Comment: Safety first is what Japanese people really concern about. But do not be so busy with your work that forget to notice or check your surrounding electric products. Fortunately, I think I do not see any unusual sign in my apartment.

APS4, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University