This Pint-Sized Plug-In Device Can Save Homes From Electrical Fires

Two years ago, a circuit breaker in my home’s electrical panel randomly failed and shorted out—and it began to melt and smoke. I called emergency services, and according to the firefighters who inspected the panel, the circuit was a few minutes away from turning into a full-blown fire. Had my family and I not been inside and noticed the pungent smell, we might have lost our beloved home. That won’t happen again, though, thanks to a $99 device now plugged into one of our outlets. That device is the Ting Fire Prevention Sensor , which can detect and alert you to electrical issues in your home, and thus potentially prevent an electrical fire.

My own family’s brush with an electrical fire came from a house that’s less than a decade old, and my experience made me all to happy to put the sensor to the test. Read on to learn more about my experience with the Ting Fire Prevention Sensor.

Ting Fire Prevention Sensor Features

Takes Less Than 10 Minutes To Set Up

To install your Ting Fire Prevention Sensor, you remove it from the box and plug it into the wall—there are only two requirements. The first: You need a grounded outlet that’s not a GFCI plug in a bathroom or kitchen (and not a power strip or adapter). You also want to avoid an outlet you use frequently, as the sensor, which is only about as large as a pack of playing cards, has to remain plugged in.

With the Ting plugged in, you can use the accompanying app to input your data as requested. Create an account and then let your phone and the sensor find one another and connect.

Once connected, you can then connect the Ting to your home’s Wi-Fi. Direct the sensor to execute an analysis of the state of your home’s electrical systems, which is something it will then do continuously thereafter. How do you direct it to do as such? Just by leaving it alone; once plugged in and connected to the internet, Ting is off to the races all by itself.

Takes Millions Of Readings For Peace Of Mind

A Ting sensor detects a lot of activity, and does it quite frequently—as in 30 million readings taken every second. A quick calculation tells me that’s 1.8 billion readings every minute, which is impressive for a device of this size. It primarily detects arcing and sparking in an electrical system, which are quite often precursors to home electrical fires.

“Arcing is when electricity jumps across a gap between two conductive materials instead of flowing through a closed circuit, creating a visible arc of electricity,” says Joel Worthington, president of Mr. Electric. “Arcing is bad because it generates extreme heat that can ignite nearby materials and cause a fire. It can also damage electrical components like outlets, breakers and wires, [and] there is also a shock risk. Also, arcing disrupts the normal flow of electricity, which can damage sensitive electronics.”

When Worthington mentions heat, he means it: the temperature of that arcing electrical charge can literally be hotter than the surface of the sun. According to data from the Electrical Safety Foundation International, or ESFI, there are more than 28,000 residential electrical fires per year in the United States. The damages add up to more than $700 million annually, and there are hundreds of injuries and deaths attributed to home electrical fires each year.

That’s where the Ting comes in: It constantly monitors your home’s electrical system, noting any irregularities that point to potential arcing. If and when the device detects an issue, it immediately reports to a fire specialist at Ting. A representative from the company will then promptly reach out to you, doing so with information and plans for mitigating the potential threat already on hand.

A Few Drawbacks To Note

A Ting electrical fire sensor can bring a lot of peace of mind and it just might save your home, which are both very good things. But that’s not to say everything about the Ting is good stuff.

For starters, I noticed an unpleasant chemical smell emanating from the device upon unboxing it, and the scent seemed to get stronger once it was plugged in. In fact, I was briefly concerned that, in cruel twist of irony, the device meant to detect electrical dangers was itself at risk of melting or at least of failing.

I subsequently spotted several reviews left by verified Ting buyers that also reported a burning plastic-like smell, which allayed my concerns about a fire, but nonetheless left me with a rather malodorous device. If you just keep your nose a few feet away from it, though, you should be fine.

Also, the Ting can consume a lot of data, so if you are on an internet plan with a fixed number of GB per month, then this device may push you into overage territory.

Final Thoughts

If you have a vacation home that you’re not often in, or have a summer house or lake cabin that you may rent to guests, the Ting Fire Prevention Sensor is a useful addition. It’s easy to set up, and I liked that once it’s plugged in, it does all the work for you by taking millions of readings per second to monitor your electrical system.

If you’re home every day, chances are good that you’ll detect an electrical issue as it smolders and before it leads to flames licking up the walls. But if it’s in your electrical, and while you may notice the pungent smell like I did, this device makes it easier—and much faster—to detect and quickly address the situation. It’s hard to put a price on peace of mind, but the Ting does just that for less than three figures.

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• This article was written by Steven John, a tech and gear staff writer who has more than a dozen years of experience testing and reviewing products. When he’s not actively testing the tech hardware or outdoor gear, he’s usually writing about it.
• For this story, John tried out the Ting sensor at his own home for multiple days, regularly checking in on the device via smartphone app. Steve also spoke with Joel Worthington, president of Mr. Electric, to share insights on arcing in your home’s electrical system.
• In addition to his writing for Forbes Vetted, John writes for Business Insider, Taboola, Architectural Digest The Daily Beast and many other publications.
• This story was reviewed by consumer Forbes Vetted tech and electronics editor Rebecca Isaacs, who has been involved in this type journalism for more than six years.