There’s something very rewarding about completing a DIY project successfully, but there are some things you should never do yourself. Your home electrical work is one of them, and the reasons for choosing a qualified electrician are as compelling as they can get.
When you do your own electrical work, you risk:
- Injury or death from electric shock
- Electrical fires
- Violating building codes
- Making matters worse and paying more to have them fixed
What Electrical Jobs Can I Do Alone?
The list of electrical jobs you can do yourself is far shorter than the list of jobs you should never attempt unless you’re a qualified electrician. If you’re not one, you are qualified enough to:
- Change a lightbulb
- Operate a switch
We could add that it’s probably safe to flip a circuit breaker back on, but even this can be risky. After all, it tripped off for a reason – and circuit breakers only trip off when there’s some danger or fault.
Which Jobs Should I Never, Ever DIY?
The answer to this question is: “Everything that isn’t on the list of jobs you can DIY.” The internet is full of videos and articles explaining how to change a light switch, install a power outlet, change a light fitting, and so on. But as experienced electricians, we’ve watched some of these videos and read some of the DIY articles. Nearly every one of them misses at least one important piece of information. Even supposing that a homeowner grasps all the instructions and performs each step correctly, there’s potential for trouble.
Call Us When You Need an Electrician in Lakeland, Florida
It takes a long time to become a qualified electrician. Apprentices follow a four-year program of academic and in-service training. Put this knowledge and experience to work instead of risking injury or damage to property for the sake of trying to save a few dollars. An electrician is the best person to do electrical work: it makes sense, doesn’t it?