Your laptop or desktop can also catch fire. Poor maintenance and improper use can lead to fire engulfing your home
Many people living in urban India have a computer in their home. Desktop computers can get a lot of work done online and can also come in handy for explaining your small children complex concepts through the audio-visual route. Adults bring in laptops given by their company who sometimes use them for urgent work that might come after-office hours.
The thing is that computers are widely used in many homes, and just like any electrical appliance they are also responsible for setting several houses on fire. There can be various reasons to why a computer can be responsible for putting an entire house on fire, but here are the reasons that are the most common, and what should be done to address them.
Igniting of Cable or Wire
Laptops and desktops need to be connected to power outlets to charge and function respectively. Sometimes, these power cords can overheat because they are damaged or due to some other reason. If the use of cords in such a situation is prolonged, then it can lead to them catching fire.
In the case of laptops, it can also be that the overheating is a result of manufacturing defect. It is not uncommon for laptop companies to issue recalls for power cord defects. The use of extension cords to connect multiple devices can lead to overload, resulting in a fire. These type of cords are designed for temporary usage and, if possible, heavy extension cords should be used.
Overheating
This is probably the main cause of computers catching fire. Overheating is caused mostly when there is improper ventilation and the computer is unable to cool itself. When a computer runs, the components inside generate heat which is dispersed through the cooling system (mostly a fan).
Over the course of time, the air channels through which the hot air passes get choked up by dust bunnies. The result is that cool air is not able to circulate inside. When hot weather is taken into account, the situation is exacerbated and chances of a mishap are even higher.
Solution to this problem is simple. Regular cleaning of the air channels is crucial to the smooth functioning of your computer. Not keeping things on top of your computer and installing AC (if possible) in the computer room is also recommended.
Laptops in particular have a powerful lithium-ion battery that becomes unstable when exposed to temperatures in excess of 150 degrees Celsius. To ensure that doesn’t happen, never put your laptop on a couch or bed, and always put the laptop on a hard surface such as a table or the floor.
Related Article:
How To Prevent Yourself From Electrical Shocks
How To Create A Fire Safety Escape Plan