Homeowners often dream they can fix anything over the weekend. They take trips to the home improvement store, they watch tutorials on YouTube and they roll up their sleeves to get to work. There’s nothing wrong with that until that project involves electricity. People who love DIY and get into electrical projects often have bad experiences. That’s because DIY electrical work is never a good idea. Here’s why:
#1 Danger of Shock
An electric shock is one of the most obvious risks you face when doing your own electrical work. While you might think that you’ve taken every precaution, it’s easy to overlook some common issues. Even if you’ve gathered together all of the equipment that you think you need, that doesn’t mean that you’re trained to use it.
There are DIYers that are very hardcore and will fix everything around their house at their own risk. But, even if they fix everything right there could be a loose end or an exposed wire that could hit a pipe and electrify something when you least expect it.
#2 Danger of Fire
Doing your own electrical work could also lead to potential electrical fires. If you leave a loose wire by accident, your insulation will immediately fuel a fire. Without knowing what kind of load your home is suited for, it’s easy to make a mistake that could lead to a fire.
Loose wires are easy mistakes that happen all of the time. Perhaps your soldering isn’t as good as you thought it was. Screw terminals become loose all the time and can result in leaving wires hanging.
#3 Mistakes Can Be Expensive
When you make a mistake with your wiring, you could end up paying more to fix it than it would have cost to have the job done in the first place. When you do a bad job, you’re going to end up doubling that effort or having to hire someone either way.
If you cross two wires or improperly add resistance to your line, you’ll fail to protect yourself from power surges. Power surges, when you’ve got networking or tech equipment connected to your outlets, could destroy memory, overheat components, and cause your equipment to fall apart.
These kinds of mistakes can add up if you end up destroying the things around your house.
#4 Are You Able to Find The Real Problem?
When you notice that a fuse blew, it’s easy to change that out yourself. Sometimes you just need to flip the breaker to get things back to normal. However, if the issue is more serious, can you figure out where the real problem comes from?
In most situations, you can’t see where your electrical problems come from. Items that overheat or fuse that blow might be easy to see and fix. But, they’re often the result of another issue. If you don’t find the source of the issue, you’re going to have to deal with the issue over and over again.
What starts out as a DIY project becomes a hunt for a big issue you’re not equipped to handle. That’s when it’s time to call in a professional.
#5 Insurance could be voided
Look at the fine print in your insurance policy. If you start DIY all of your electrical work, you will most likely end up voiding your insurance. When something happens, your insurance company can wave you off if you’ve created the problem on your own.
When work is done by a professional, there’s accountability in the mix. There’s someone who’ll take responsibility and put their professional career on the line to say that they’re the ones who should be held responsible. But when you’re the one messing with electrical equipment, you’re giving your insurance the perfect excuse to not cover you.
Every insurance company wants a reason to not have to pay out a big settlement. Once homeowners start doing DIY electrical work when it should’ve been done by professionals, insurance companies ring their bells.
Calla Professional Electrician in Clearwater, FL
For anything larger than swapping out a light switch or outlet cover, it’s better to bring in a professional electrician. When your project calls for a professional touch, give East-West Electric a call at (727) 771-9403.
