If you are a homeowner, you probably know fixing electrical issues as a DIY project can be tricky. Also, you are aware that calling out a Pro must be very expensive. The question is why you need a Pro to do these kinds of jobs; Which electrical DIYs can you actually pull off safely? How do you figure out the electrical tasks that require professional help? and most importantly, why professionals always say “Don’t DIY electrical issues!” To find the answer, keep along with us!
Why Do You Need A Pro To Carry Out Your Electrical Issues?
You should always get a qualified electrician to carry out electrical work in your home. Because they need to do that work in accordance with the current standards.
If you are not a competent person, then you will not be certified for that work. This means that you should apply for the appropriate certification and compliance with the building reconnections.
In addition, fixing electrical issues can be extremely dangerous for an unlicensed person. The main risk with not having your work certified and carrying it out yourself would be the danger of putting your house on fire.
The problem with that is actually the insurance would not be validated the case. Because the homeowner did not have that work carried out by a responsible, certified, registered person whose certificates at the end cover you for your insurance.
It might also burn out many properties where a fire has started from somebody doing their own electrical work and spread from one property across some mid-terraced houses to others.
also, in order you want to sell your property you should provide building compliance certification on sale for doing any extension or conversion.
If you cannot provide that, then your buyer will ask for that money to be reduced from the sale of the house. This way, you are actually devaluing your property.
Furthermore, by carrying out the electrical work by yourself, an unlicensed person would definitely be at risk of electrical shock.
You also need lots of tools and materials to do this job and you need to pay a lot of money to provide them. As you can see, it actually not cost-effective and you cannot self-certify the work anyway.
So, you will end up calling an electrician out to certify the work. The problem is that electricians will not come out and approve any job that was carried out by somebody else!
Now that we are at it, it seems like you may be in need of a professional electrician so why not go ahead and speak to a professional? Simply click here to get started right away!
What electrical DIY tasks can you do at home?
Even though there are not a lot of electrical issues you can fix by yourself, you can do some tasks at home without the need for a licensed electrician. Here are a few of them:
- Changing light bulbs
If you are thinking about making a switch to more energy-efficient light bulbs, you are on the right track. Technology is evolving every day and one of its most useful inventions is energy-efficient appliances.
Energy-saving light bulbs can save you a ton of money on your monthly utility costs and are definitely better for the environment than a regular ones. The best thing about such appliances is that they are fairly easy to use and can be installed easily too.
All you need to do is make sure that the power source is off. After this, wait around 10 ensure that the bulb is cool enough for you to touch.
Remember to use a ladder to remove the old light bulb first. Then you can insert the energy-efficient replacement bulb and switch on the power to check if your new light bulb is working.
- Labeling the circuit board
Labeling the circuit board can be one of the most helpful electrical DIY tasks you can do at home. However, before you go off working on that circuit board it is important to do a little research.
Even though circuit boards are not necessarily sensitive or dangerous areas if you are working carefully, it is a good idea to find out which switch is connected to each room in your house.
An easy way to do this is first to take a reference photo of your current labels. Then, you can get replacement labels from the hardware store and use the pre-numbered switches to add new titles to each switch.
If you do not have any current labels, you can work around the switches to see which areas of the house they control.
- Upgrading the light switch faceplates
Another easy DIY you can pull off at home is upgrading the light switch faceplates. If you want to add a fancy touch to your house, you can go to the hardware store and buy some new faceplates.
After this, all you need to do is screw them in. be a little careful when you are doing this though, and always remember to wear protective gear in case an accident happens.
- Baby-proofing electrical outlets
If you are an expectant parent or a parent with very young children, you probably already know all about baby-proofing. Dealing with inquisitive young minds that just want to stick random things in random places is really scary.
Therefore, you need to baby-proof all kinds of electrical outlets. The good thing is that you do not need professional help for this. All you need to do is get the plastic outlet cover from the supermarket or buy it online.
- Adding chimes to the doorbell
If you want to change the sound your doorbell makes, consider adding chimes to your existing system. This is something you can do at home easily and you will not even require professional assistance for it.
It is also quite safe to do since the whole thing is a low-voltage project that does not require extensive experience in the electrical features and at the end, you will have a doorbell that makes exactly the sound you want.
What Are Your “Don’t DIY Electrical Issues” That Require Professional Help?
As you probably know by now there are tons of things that you can do in your home by yourself without the need to hire a contractor. However, it is important to remember that some electrical projects are different.
DIY serious electrical projects can be extremely hazardous and if you are lucky, you will not burn the house down, and if you are unlucky, you could suffer some serious injuries. Here are some electrical tasks that require professional help:
- Fiddling with dedicated circuits
If you do not already know, dedicated circuits are an extremely important electrical component for your home.
This is because have a very important job. These circuits prevent your appliances from drawing too much electrical current. If they were not there, your fuses will probably blow from the excess current.
Therefore, to make sure your wiring does not overheat you need dedicated circuits working around the clock. These circuits prevent electrical fires and also save you a ton of money on your monthly utility bill.
So, it is best if you do not run the risk of blowing your appliances and ask for professional help if you ever face problems with your dedicated circuits.
- Sorting out wiring
Some people think they can DIY their way through electrical wiring but that is a complete lie. It is possible to learn about electrical wiring and you can get better at managing it over time.
However, if you are a new electrical DIY-er, it is not a good idea to involve yourself with complicated wires. The only way you can make electrical wires easy is when you have a certified electrician doing it.
Trying to DIY this task will probably lead to a dangerous electrical fire. Just trust an electrician to do the job if you ever have a problem with your wires. These guys study various electrical codes for years and also pass various exams in order to ensure that they can wire your home safely.
- Installing fixtures at home
If you are an ambitious electrical DIY-er who thinks that installing a new light or electrical fixture is not that difficult, you are probably right. It is not that hard but only for licensed electricians.
If you are new to the world of circuits and you attempt to DIY it, even a single mistake can cost you the price of a new fixture. Not just this! Your personal health and safety are also at risk when you are fiddling with fixtures.
If the fixture sparks and sets an electrical fire, you will probably have to call an ambulance, the fire brigade, and an electrician to fix the mess. So, save yourself time and trouble and call an electrician to do the job instead of trying your luck with it.
Electrical repairs and installations can be expensive. So, if you do not have the money to get an electrician to do the job, you can do a little bit of research and try to understand the problem you are facing. If it is a low-voltage project, you might be able to do it yourself. Although, it is highly recommended that you get a professional to do the job for you.
- Avoid code corrections in appliance installations
Your household electricity must meet the standards set out by the authorities in the electrical code compliance according to the national electrical code.
So, if you have any electrical work lying around at home waiting to be done, you need to run it through the national electric code first. If you are not licensed to do it, it is better to call a professional.
For example, if you want to install a fan or any other appliance, get a licensed electrician to do the job.
- Working with your electrical panel
Never mess with your electrical panel! Even if you want to try some DIY tricks on it, resist the urge and just call a professional if things seem to be going wrong with it.
It is good to know where and how to shut the panel off in case of an emergency but do not try to fix your electrical panel.
This panel is basically the source of all electrical power used in your home and fiddling with it can cause massive damage.
This is because you will be dealing with unstable power surges and electrical fires if you are not careful with the panel. Just contact the licensed electrician to handle it for you.
If you are already an electrician running your own business or just about to start and grow your own electrical business, you must learn the four critical things electrical owners wish they had learned before starting an electrical business. This way, you do not make the same mistakes.
Some Of The Most Dangerous Electrical Installations You Should Not DIY!
Have you ever come across any electrical issues and installations, which you think you can do yourself? It not only would be a complete mess but it also can be shockingly dangerous and put your own and your loved ones’ life in serious danger. Some of them are as follows:
- Installing an RCD as a main switch
It is one of the most dangerous installations, which would be sparking, overheating, and making the connections absolutely baking hot. It can cause a fire, and the fact that if the RCD were tripping then there would be exposed metalwork, which would be live and someone could get shocked and be killed.
- Installing a garden lighting in the mud outside
This way, some water would get into the BC box and cause some serious problems such as electrical shock. It should be terminating Stillwater armored cables and gland at the box properly, and not twisting the armoring together in order to create continuity.
- Replacing the old cloth-insulated tails
This would be absolutely dangerous while the insulation would completely have perished and the live conductors and the cables would be exposed and accessible to anyone who sticks their hand in the meter box.
- Running cables in walls
There are some regulations about how to run cables that are concealed in walls. For example, they should be run horizontally or vertically from a socket outlet or switch, or rather an accessory. Also, they should be 150 ml of the corners of the walls. In fact, when you are drilling the wall you should know that is OK. Otherwise, you have no idea where they are going to be and you could easily hit them when drilling.
- Upgrading a fuse box
Sometimes, you may decide to do some fuse box upgrade and you take out the old reliable fuse board, and you use it as a junction box to extend the cables down to your new plastic board. You also may do the tail connections the way you cannot find the connector, and twist tails together in the wrong order. This could be shockingly dangerous!
- Installing the fuse the wrong way around
It means that you might put the feed in at the bottom. So, the fuses would be permanently live and there would be no way of isolating and changing them without pulling the main supplies cut out. In fact, the feed should come into the top and then you can isolate the fuses using the isolator switch in order to replace them.
The Bottom Line
Here, we talked about those electrical issues you should not DIY. Also, you learned the reason behind calling out the licensed electricians and some of the easiest low-voltage electrical tasks you can do at home by yourself. In order you have any comments or questions, feel free to drop them below. Good luck!