There are many things you can do around your house by yourself. However, electrical work should be left to professionals. Electrical contractors are professionals who have been trained extensively in how to do electrical service repair safely. Some companies are strictly focused on electrical system repair while others are handyman electrical and plumbing with a wider focus. If you hire a company, you’ll want to look into the different options before making a decision. There are a range of companies with different prices, expertise, and quality. So look into several electrical contractors. Look at whether they offer fixed price electrical repairs and what other customers have said about them. Electricity is an essential part of your home and it can also be extremely dangerous. So you want to make sure that whoever you are working with is a professional. This will save you a lot of money, stress, and actual danger.
You can find electrical contractors online and look through reviews. Another option is to ask around to other homeowners and see who they’ve brought in to do work on their home.
Life can throw a lot of do it yourself projects along the way for both amateur and seasoned weekend warriors and their everyday brethren. From learning environmentally responsible urban farming practices, to coloring your hair, to upholstering an antique piece of furniture, there are do it yourself projects a plenty.
But guess what? No matter how experienced of weekend warrior you are, no matter how much money you can potentially save by doing a repair or task yourself, no matter how many YouTube tutorials you’ve watched over and over again, there are some jobs that are better left to the professionals, and electrical repairs and services are prime examples. Even if they seem like fairly straight forward electrical wiring repairs, weekend warrior beware. Even minor electrical problems are don’t do it yourself and are more a matter of knowing when to call a professional electrician.
When it comes to performing electrical work yourself, the only do it yourself you should do is knowing when to stop thinking about tinkering and when to call a professional electrician. This is one do it yourself project when it’s important to put your pride aside because it knowing when to call a professional electrician to handle an electrical problem could save your life, literally!
There are so many guided YouTube tutorials that would have you convinced that electrical repairs are something you can do on your own, but remember, just because it’s on the internet doesn’t mean it’s safe or true. Unlike other benign do it yourself projects, electrical work requires a great deal of expert knowledge, experience, and know how to complete safely and effectively. The consequences of attempting electrical work on your own are dire, and include severe personal injuries such as electrocution, burns, broken bones, seizures, and some could be fatal.
This is especially true if you live in a historic home with an old electrical system. These systems are typically horribly outdated, unpredictable, damaged after years of neglect and therefore extremely dangerous. Even for seasoned electrical professionals, these jobs are approached with extreme caution and require years of on the job as well as in depth knowledge and understanding of old electrical systems. Other than changing a light bulb every now and then, don’t attempt any kind of do it yourself electrical work in an older home!
This is one thing to always keep in mind if you live in an older or historic home. Older electrical systems cannot handle the amount of juice today’s modern appliances and gadgets require, which provides the perfect opportunity for major electrical problems to occur. Knowing when to call a professional electrician also means knowing when it’s time to schedule regular maintenance or rewiring for older homes with outdated electrical systems. In addition to being dangerous, outdated electrical systems are also extremely inefficient and cost you a lot in terms of your monthly utility expenses.
Another time you may feel tempted to perform do it yourself electrical work at home is when you want to install a new appliance or lighting fixture. There are a number of YouTube tutorials that depict this, but that doesn’t mean you should follow suite. Monkey see, monkey don’t do it yourself! The installation of a new major electrical appliance such as a water heater, electric stove, or generator requires expert knowledge that you don’t have since you’re not a professional electrician. It may seem pretty straight forward, but it’s not as simple as out with the old and in with the new and done.
Swapping out and old electrical appliance for a new one requires in depth knowledge of the current electrical system’s abilities, and whether it will be compatible with the new appliance or fixture being installed. An outdated electrical system may not be able to handle the electrical load of several modern day appliances, leading to a potentially dangerous electrical mismatch or short circuit.
There’s no shame in caving in and knowing when to call a professional electrician. It’s the smartest thing you can do! Electrical safety is the only do it yourself you need to do.
