Should You Call An Electrician Or Not?

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Should You Call An Electrician Or Not?

31 May 2018
 Categories: , Blog

This is one of the questions most homeowners struggle with. On one hand, it usually seems like a waste of money to bring in an expert to handle a problem you could have managed on your own. On the other hand, without the input of an expert, you may not know if you've handled the problem correctly or whether you could be putting yourself or someone else at risk.

When is it okay to correct a problem on your own and when is it a better idea to bring in professional electricians?

When to Handle the Problem On Your Own

There are certain electrical issues in your home you can take care of on your own. This, of course, assumes that you know your way around the basics of electrical safety and tools. These include:

  1. Troubleshooting a malfunctioning device: If you have an electrical device that's not working, there are things you can do on your own to figure out the cause of the problem e.g. checking if the fuse is blown, checking if the outlet is the problem etc.

  2. Installing and removing most appliances and devices: As long as the device in question doesn't need to be wired to the mains or doesn't have some complicated demands e.g. a voltage converter, you can handle the installation or removal of such devices on your own.

  3. Electrical Safety: You can make your own home safe from electrical issues by doing things such as securing sockets, ensuring outlets are not overloaded etc.

When to Bring in a Professional

There are other situations where trying to take care of an electrical problem on your own can be quite risky. These situations require a qualified electrician, and they include:

  • Increasing the number of electrical outlets in your home

  • Changing the old electrical wiring inside your house

  • Your lights flicker when certain appliances are connected

  • Your circuit breakers trip or your fuses blow on a regular basis

  • Your electrical outlets are warm or you get a mild shock or tingly feeling when you touch devices etc.

The Dangers of Not Bringing in a Professional

A DIY task will not do when you're dealing with certain electrical problems. The immediate risk is that you could suffer a fatal electrocution when carrying out the job. The long-term risk is that you or someone else could get hurt due to a poor job or an electrical fire could break out. Thankfully, these risks can be mitigating by using professional electricians for the job.