By Melisa Ng | April 08, 2011
The little known danger lurking behind our walls: substandard cables
Behind every wall at home, an office or a building in general, there are cables that channel electricity for our daily consumption. These are housing cables and they connect all electricity-powered items and sockets to the main electricity source.
Often, many homeowners make the mistake of paying little attention to the kind of cables that wire their homes. A cable is just a cable, some may think. But is it really that simple when there have been many documented incidences of fire, blackouts, short circuits and electrocution caused by unsafe cables?
Those unsafe cables are called substandard cables. These cables are not designed, manufactured or test-approved to meet the requirements of the international standards and specifications; hence, their quality and safety are compromised.
The Fire and Rescue Department Malaysia reported that in the first six months of January to June 2010, 2889 fire cases were directly caused by electrical faults and is the number one cause of fire in Malaysia.
The dangers of substandard housing cables are:
.jpg) |
|
The ugly truth: Electrical faults is the number one cause of fire in Malaysia.
|
1. Cable overheating
The smaller diameter of a substandard housing cable reduces its ability to conduct electricity effectively, thereby causing the cable to overheat. When that happens, it causes the cable to burn or melt.
2. Electrical disruptions
The instability of substandard housing cables may result in short circuits and blackouts - posing hassle for home owners and danger to young and old in the family.
3. Electrocution
The reduced conducting ability of a substandard housing cable causes it to lose insulating properties. This leads to circuit malfunction and possible electrocution.
4. Fire outbreak
Because its general lacking in quality, substandard housing cables may create sparks which may then lead to outbreaks of fire.
To combat the flooding of substandard cables in the market while ensuring that Malaysian homeowners enjoy safety and quality in their cabling, Universal Cable has recently launched UniHome. UniHome, a housing cable specifically designed for residential and commercial use. Certified by SIRIM Bhd and Suruhanjaya Tenaga, UniHome housing cables distribute electricity for residential applications that are manufactured to the highest of quality and safety complying to the international standards and specifications. Using 100% copper as the conductor for electricity, UniHome cables are insulated with high grade PVC material.
With over 40 years of experience, Universal Cable is the single largest cable and wire manufacturer in Malaysia and the Asean region. Universal Cable is fully-equipped to manufacture cables and wires for many different industries. This includes for power generation, transmission & distribution, oil & gas, marine & shipboard, telecommunication, control & instrumentation, automotive industries as well as commercial and housing developments.
Whether applied in heavy industries or home, each Universal Cable product is made with genuine material, and has been stringently-tested for quality and safety. This has earned them many certifications from local and the toughest international authorities alike – more than any other manufacturer in Malaysia.
With three manufacturing plants located in Johor and one plant in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Universal Cable is committed to provide only the best for their customers.
For more information, visit http://www.ucable.com.my
Related articles:
|