When we take these matters into our hands, we are not only risking our life but the life of others. In this article, we are going to tell you five electrical jobs you shouldn’t do yourself. We do not recommend doing any electrical work unless you have been qualified to do the work. If anyone you know even talks about attempting these, you should become the voice of reason and this article will help you to win a debate. Many people are tempted to do all of the electrical work by themselves, just to save a bit of money. Even if you did the work yourself, you will still need the approval of a professional because you’ll never know your work could lead to someone’s death. Same as with much of property related work, DIY projects can void your insurance so good cost benefit analysis is recommended.

Leave it to the experienced Electricians

Leave it to the true Electricians who have years of experience. Electrical work is such a dangerous job even the apprentices themselves aren’t safe. Not so long ago ESB an electrical company got fined a €250,000 because their apprentice got killed over being confused about which part of the equipment he was working on was live.

With electrical work you could be wasting your time, even if you don’t blow yourself up, it could result in you paying a lot more money to fix the work than it would have cost you in the beginning. So we are giving you 5 Electrical jobs you shouldn’t do yourself at home unless you’re a professional.

1. Altering Power Cables

If you’re going to go near these with no experience you’re looking for trouble. Injuries resulting from the damage to “live” power cables are usually caused by the explosive effects of arcing current and by associated fire or flames. Much of the buildings in Ireland use wood for partitions while in the same time housing power cables inside walls. If due to incorrect connections or overloaded wires due to the higher than allowed current passing thru fire can occur and entire building can go up in flames. Only qualified technicians can estimate existing and future needs so the cable would not overheat and cause a fire.

2. Junction Boxes

When it comes to touching electricity, you must always make sure that the power is turned off and to stay away from the junction boxes and do not touch any damaged or bare wires inside of the box unless you want to be a electrocuted. Especially when many contractors are working on a site, additional checks have to carried out making sure all possible risks removed.  Junction Box reroutes electricity thru out the property, and some vital element that ensures the future safety of the building have to be installed, for example, if power escapes thru faulty electrical equipment.  

3. Electrical Rewiring

This is the work that causes most fires by faulty wiring and has to be done right. Many of people try to DIY this job but fail miserably. Yes, it saves about €8,000 to €15,000 to rewire a 1,000 – 3,000 square foot house. All rewiring work must meet the Electrical Code of Practice standard and done by people who can provide up to date certification. Illegal activity carried out can bring a significant penalty to yourself and can also void any insurance policies. So don’t do it.

4. Handling Electric Appliances

Let a professional repair your broken domestic appliances, however, in many cases; it would be less costly and safer just to replace the broken device rather than have it fixed, especially extension cords. Current appliances sold in the European Union have mandatory Energy Star ratings that allow easy calculation of the yearly power consumption. Please take into consideration savings you can make by upgrading.  If bad connection starts to overheat, it can cause a fire.  If you are handling these appliances, always make sure to have dry hands thick rubber gloves and rubber sole footwear. The danger is even bigger with sweat because salt water is an even greater conductor of electricity than water with a low concentration of salt.

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5. Installing Switches

Sockets and fittings will wear out over a period and can be dangerous to touch even when they are turned off and should only be replaced by an Electrician. Even though it sounds like such an easy task, there is a lot involved in checking for hot wires then turning off the power at the main circuit panel, then holding the top of a non-contact voltage detector near each of the screw terminals to be sure the power is off. Only then the technician can unscrew the switch and pull it from the box. Only reason qualified professionals can do their work is extensive experience and tool allowing safe work.

Bottom Line?

Don’t fiddle with electrics.  Anything electrical in your house that requires the attention is best left to be fixed by professionals. Not only do you mess with the obvious risk of electrocuting yourself, fiddling with the wires behind that shifty plug socket could wreak havoc on your home’s wiring system.
Everyone wants to save funds, but doing electrical work alone can cost you more in the long run in the event you take things into your hands.  Even installing a simple light bulb switch can be done incorrectly in the event you don’t have a clue what you are doing. What looks to be a simple project can turn into a nightmare due to inexperience and lack of appropriate tools. In the worst case scenario if you are renting a property where you carry out your DIY electrical work you can become liable if anything happens with no insurance to cover you.

Pinnacle Group Maintenance

If your home or office property is in need of some professional care and attention, or if you’re simply looking to add new value to your investment – contact us on 061 609865 / 086 3114590. We are available 24 hours and 7 days of the week.

Need a quotation? Give us a call or save our contact details for the times when professional help is needed. And always be safe.