There are many dangers involved with DIY electrical work for anyone that is not both knowledgeable and licensed as an electrician. So many people think that just because they tend to be a little ‘handy’ that it is no problem for them to try to do their electrical work as well. This is a huge mistake, I have personally known very skilled electricians that have even gotten severely injured while on the job, so can you imagine how much more likely it is for someone with little to no electrical experience to get injured?
In the daily work life of an electrician we know that there are certain risks that are just par for the course and just plain part of the job. Even myself after having been a licensed electrical contractor for over 25 years, still have a stern practice of not talking while I’m performing some tasks on the job, they are simply too dangerous to lose focus! The following article states some very good reasons why you should leave your electrical work to the professionals:
Does this look safe to you?
Home Buyers Beware of DIY Electrical Work
There is a reason why electricians have to go through countless hours of training to become licensed. When performing electrical work in the home, one has to always be cognizant of safety. (Safety is usually not discussed in great detail in You-Tube videos or on HGTV). As a general rule, you cannot become certified or licensed to perform electrical work by watching an hour long tutorial or by watching an hour long program on HGTV. Some of the items we run across during home inspections are flat out scary and could potentially be deadly! Electricity is not something to take lightly. Electricity in your home when done correctly is a great convenience, however, when done haphazardly, it becomes a significant danger that can affect you, your family and your potential new home. Read more…
Like I said earlier, even seasoned electricians that have been in the trade for a number of years still stare dead in the face of injury and danger everyday. Sure, we are knowledgeable of what to do and what not to do but all it takes is a few moments of careless and of not paying attention to get seriously hurt.
One thing I would say for sure is your health and safety is far too important to risk on doing any kind of electrical work if you are not completely 100% sure that you know what you are doing. Additionally, if you are a homeowner and you insist on doing your own electrical work from time to time you should never work ‘live’. Always turn the power off before you start working. The following article talks about 5 reasons you should never work with live electricity:
5 Reasons To Never Work With Live Electricity
It’s good to have a certain amount of fear when working as an electrical contractor. Having no fear can lead to being careless and carelessness can lead to serious injury or death. A good electrician will shut off a power source, test to make sure that the power is off and then STILL treat the wires as if they’re hot. Too many electricians have been hurt or killed because they were careless or rushed while on the job. Read more…
So, I hope you are starting to get the picture now. Electricity is extremely powerful and dangerous and it should be treated with a healthy amount of fear/respect. Check out this video that makes light of electrical current but gives some good real life examples of what some dangers could be:
In closing, you and your families health is way too important to leave to chance. Let’s suppose that you are in fact a bit handy and you think that you can handle your upcoming electrical project. Do you know what size wire you need for you appliances? Do you know what safety precautions should be taken with each application? Do you know for a fact that nothing you do inside your electrical boxes will affect your or your families health? Just a few things to keep in mind when thinking too hard about how you are doing the noble thing by saving a couple hundred bucks in doing your electrical work yourself. You sure you wouldn’t rather just have piece of mind and call the Sacramento electrical pros instead?
