Make sure that mosquitoes are the only things, which get zapped in your backyard this summer.

Homeowners are using additional electrical appliances outdoors.Tiki torches, foam coolers and charcoal grills are life form replaced by table lamps, refrigerators, fans, electric boilers and flat-screen televisions.

About a third of the $220 billion spent on remodeling in 2004 was allocated to outdoor amenities, according to a survey conducted by the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, a trade group.‘‘We’re extending the home into the backyard,” said Angela Mickalide of the Home Safety Council in Washington. ‘‘With that come all the appliances and the power to power them.”

About 240 people are electrocuted at home in the United States each year, she said. Many of persons wounded occur outdoors.People are using more power tools and lighting outdoors. They are creating outdoor living rooms,” said Anne Mayberry, program manager for the Electrical Safety Foundation International in Washington.Electricity is bringing more appliances and conveniences outdoors, but people need to be conscious of the potential hazards that come with it.

Special care should be taken to keep electrical cords, tools and appliances absent from pools, hot tubs, water features and wet surfaces.”Electricity and water just don’t mix,”Mayberry said.Moisture can render indoor appliances dangerous, even in secluded areas such as porches or gazebos.

Dampness is an issue,even in an area enclosed with a roof.The main thing for safety is that people should make sure that the tools and appliances they are by outdoors are manufactured for outdoor use.Extension cords and electric tools and appliances must be plugged into an outlet equipped with a ground-fault interrupter—a device that shuts off the power if current strays beyond the wiring.

All outdoor outlets must be ground-fault protected, she said. They also must be equipped with weatherproof covers.Consumers also are supposed to ensure that the appliances, extension cords and other electrical equipment bear the label of an independent testing group such as Underwriters Laboratories, Mickalide said.Outdoor lighting, hedge trimmers, power washers and electric grills may overload the outdoor circuit and create a fire hazard in the house, Mayberry said.