By: Carolina Ruiz Vega

In Costa Rica and Central America, one of the main causes of fire is deficient electrical connections.

Having qualified personnel making proper installations is, without a doubt, a first step in avoiding this kind of hazard. A second step is installing certified electrical products — the kind of appliances that have gone through a series of evaluations that verify national and international regulations compliance for the purpose of ensuring quality and safety to the final user.

“Although users are usually inclined to buy non-certified electrical products, mostly because of budgetary reasons, it is important to let them know that they are risking the integrity of their homes, buildings and businesses,” warned Guillermo Guevara, specialist at Sylvania Costa Rica.

He firmly recommends purchasing certified electrical products, such as bulbs, light pipes, light fixtures, ballasts, among others, based on the following three reasons:

1. The product is safe, which reduces electrical hazards such as short circuits or fires.

2. The product is reliable because it has been manufactured under high quality standards; this guarantees the product has high durability and meets the performance promised by the manufacturer.

3. The product is environmentally friendly. Some certifications attest processes or using eco-friendly materials; some of them are even made with 100% recyclable materials.

So what seal should you look for in Costa Rica?

According to Guevara, when buying a certified electrical product, consumers may find one or more seals. “These seals can be found in the product box or it might be printed on the product directly, ” he explained.

In Central America, the most common certification seal comes from Underwriters Laboratories (UL). “UL is a global leader in testing, inspection, certification, auditing and validating illumination products,” said Guevara.

Another seal you may be interested in is the one that corroborates that light bulbs, for example, are made of 100% recyclable materials. Other common certification seals that can be found in electrical products sold in the Costa Rica and the Central American region are CE, IEC and Nom-Ance.