Child Proof Outlet Installation Services in Des Moines, IA


Mr. Electric of Central Iowa electrician inspecting outlet.

Mr. Electric of Central Iowa Helps Kids Stay Safe

Every year, over 2,400 children get treatment at emergency rooms because of electrical shocks and burns after tampering with electrical outlets. Mr. Electric of Central Iowa can help Des Moines families protect their little tykes with safe and reliable child proof outlet installation services. Updating your home with child proof outlets or tamper-resistant receptacles (TRR) is a simple, inexpensive, and permanent solution to prevent these household accidents. Our professional, uniformed, and licensed electricians politely serve customers and treat their homes and businesses like they were their own. You get safe and convenient electrical services on every job while we take the worry out of leaving your children in rooms with electrical outlets. If you sign up for our Advantage Plan®, you benefit from priority scheduling and members-only specials.

What Are Child Proof Outlets?

Mr. Electric of Central Iowa understands how crucial but challenging keeping your kids safe around the house can be. Our child proof electrical outlet installations are an excellent step to protect young family members against shocks and burns. You might not know what a child proof outlet and covers are. These outlets might look exactly like standard wall outlets, but they are incredibly different. Their design includes spring-loaded receptacle cover plates to safeguard children against electrical contacts. The cover plates prevent children from inserting objects in the outlets whenever they apply unequal pressure to the receptacle’s contact points. Installing child proof outlets requires professional expertise to ensure they work safely and reliably. Our technicians cover this need with quick, efficient service.

How Do I Operate a Child Proof Outlet?

It’s simple to use a child proof outlet if you’re an adult who knows how to operate an outlet properly. You don’t need any special strength or knowledge to use an outlet as you might with most other child proof devices. You simply apply simultaneous equal pressure to both sides to insert a plug into your receptacle. This equal pressure lets the receptacle’s cover plate open, so it works like any other outlet. You can visit the Electrical Safety Foundation International’s website to see a virtual demonstration if you’ve never seen a child proof electrical outlet. Mr. Electric of Central Iowa can also explain how to operate these outlets when we install them at your home or perform other electrical services.

Items Children Put in Electrical Outlets

Children are curious and don’t always understand the danger of many household items and features, including electrical outlets. Mr. Electric of Central Iowa is well-versed in stories about kids jamming various objects in outlets and suffering electrical shocks. Nearly one-third of these accidents happen when children insert household items into receptacles, and 70 percent of these incidents occur when adults are present. You can find items children insert into electrical outlets throughout your house. We’ve listed several prime examples of objects children get their hands on, leading to electrical shocks and burns:

  • Tools
  • Keys
  • Hairpins
  • Plugs
  • Jewelry
  • Paperclips and staples
  • Belt Buckles
  • Knives
  • Nail files

Update Your Home With Child Proof Outlets

Mr. Electric of Central Iowa’s expert electrical technicians are available if you decide to enhance your home’s electrical receptacles with protective child proof electrical outlets. These updates only cost a few dollars for each outlet, which is pennies more than installing traditional outlets. This simple home update can make your household safer for your entire family and bring it up to electrical code. Since 2008, the National Electrical Code has and continues to require installing child proof outlets in all new homes because of how effective tamper-proof receptacles are proven to be. Without child proof outlet, your child risks the following injuries:

  • Electrical shocks – Every day, seven children get injured with electrical shocks by inserting items into electrical outlets.
  • Electrical burns – Electrical burns account for 95 percent of injuries originating from electrical outlets. These burns may range in severity, but you must understand how burns on young children are very serious because a child's thin skin offers little resistance to electrical flow or heat.
  • Serious or Fatal Injuries – Some electrical injuries can be serious or fatal, and children are no exception to this risk. Mr. Electric of Central Iowa can help you prevent death or emergency room visits with child proof outlets and electrical outlet covers.

Products You Should Avoid for Your Home

When picking out child proof electrical outlets to install in your home, you should avoid products requiring you to screw plugs in place. These outlets are convenient and present a fire hazard. Additionally, after installing outlets, you should never use plastic bags. These bags are a choking hazard to small children, and your new tamper-proof outlets provide the protection you need. We strongly recommend contacting Mr. Electric of Central Iowa’s licensed, qualified professional electricians to install child proof receptacles in your home. We have you and your family’s best interests at heart and ensure your new outlets are installed safely and correctly.

Schedule Child Proof Outlet Installation in Des Moines

Mr. Electric of Central Iowa is ready to help you protect your little family members against shocks and burns with child proof outlet installation services. We proudly serve families throughout Des Moines, IA and have extensive expertise in a wide array of essential electrical solutions for homes and businesses. Contact us today to discuss your electrical needs and schedule service at your property.