Why You should Hire A Professional Electrician

Electricity is one of the few renovations that you should never undertake yourself unless you are trained, certified, insured, and know exactly what you are doing.

So you consider yourself to be quite the handy man? You figure that you can handle any sort of home improvement task, including handling the electricity without hiring a skilled Electrician.

You went online and read all about it, right? Maybe even took some books out of the library. You’re pretty sure that you have the tools in your toolbox, and you have the proper protective gear to wear.

And then you end up in the emergency room with an electrical burn, or even worse, dead. Your house may have burned to the ground, and who knows how your family may be coping? Are they injured? Are they alive? Was your home even insured? You may very well end up with absolutely nothing, including a very empty wallet as you will be paying thousands upon thousands of dollars to replace everything.

All of this because you thought that you could do the job yourself!

Still not convinced? Be sure to check your insurance policy, IF you have one. More often than not, you will not be insured if any unlicensed or amateur (yourself included) attempts home repairs that results in damage.

Electrical fires are extremely common, and can spread very quickly, resulting in walls that are destroyed within minutes.

These types of fire usually happen because the wires and circuits are either overloaded or faulty; the wiring and circuits used are outdated; or, most common with home repairs, the wires and circuits are improperly installed.

Consider, too, that improper wiring can easily damage your major home appliances. Do you really want to replace your fridge because you messed up on the wiring? Probably not!

Hire A Professional Electrician

Finding an electrician is also a very simple task. You can do a quick search online right from your own home, or look through your phone book for some numbers of licensed and bonded professionals.

If you know any family, friends or neighbors that recently had some electrical work done, ask them who they used and how satisfied they were with their service.

You can also visit your local hardware store and ask them for some names of reliable, dependable electricians.

Think of all of the damage you can do to your home and family, just because you thought you probably knew what you were doing. The cost of replacing everything alone justifies hiring a professional electrician.

Save yourself the stress, the expense and the danger that could otherwise happen.

Choose an experienced and licensed Electrician.

 

RC Electrical Services

 

Tips

Halogen Floor Lamps

Halogen floor lamps operate at much higher temperatures than a standard incandescent light bulb.

Never place a halogen floor lamp where it could come in contact with draperies, clothing or other combustible materials.

Be sure to turn the lamp off whenever you leave the room for an extended period of time and never use torchiere lamps in children’s bedrooms or playrooms.

Consider using cooler fluorescent floor lamps.

 

Space Heaters

Space heaters are meant to supply supplemental heat.Keep space heaters at least 3 ft. away from any combustible materials such as bedding, clothing, draperies, furniture and rugs.

Don’t use in rooms where children are unsupervised and remember to turn off and unplug when not in use.

Do not use space heaters with extension cords; plug directly into an outlet on a relatively unburdened circuit.

 

Lightning

During an electrical storm, do not use appliances (i.e., hairdryers, toasters and radios) or telephones (except in an emergency)

Do not take a bath or shower.

Keep batteries on hand for flashlights and radios in case of a power outage.

Use surge protectors on electronic devices, appliances, phones, fax machines and modems.

 

Outdoor Safety

Electric-powered mowers and other tools should not be used in the rain, on wet grass or in wet conditions.

Inspect power tools and electric lawn mowers before each use for frayed power cords, broken plugs and cracked or broken housings.If damaged, stop using it immediately, repair or replace it.

Always use an extension cord marked for outdoor use and rated for the power needs of your tools.

Remember to unplug all portable power tools when not in use.

When using ladders, watch out for overhead wires and power lines.

 

Entertainment/Computer Equipment

Check to see that the equipment is in good condition and working properly.

Look for cracks or damage in wiring, plugs and connectors.

Use a surge protector bearing the seal of a nationally recognized certification agency.

 

 

 

Appliances
If an appliance repeatedly blows a fuse, trips a circuit breaker or if it has given you a shock, unplug it and have it repaired or replaced.

 

 

 

 

Water and Electricity Don’t Mix

Don’t leave plugged-in appliances where they might fall in contact with water.

If a plugged-in appliance falls into water, NEVER reach in to pull it out—even if it’s turned off.

First turn off the power source at the panel board and then unplug the appliance.

If you have an appliance that has gotten wet, don’t use it until it has been checked by a qualified repair person.

 

 

Circuit Breakers/Fuses

Circuit breakers and fuses should be the correct size current rating for their circuit.

If you do not know the correct size, have an electrician identify and label the size to be used. Always replace a fuse with the same size Circuit Breaker/Fuse.

 

 

 

 

Light Bulbs

Check the wattage of all bulbs in light fixtures to make sure they are the correct wattage for the size of the fixture.

Replace bulbs that have higher wattage than recommended; if you don’t know the correct wattage, check with the manufacturer of the fixture.

Make sure bulbs are screwed in securely; loose bulbs may overheat.

 

 

 

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs)

GFCIs can help prevent electrocution.

They should be used in any area where water and electricity may come into contact.

When a GFCI senses current leakage in an electrical circuit, it assumes a ground fault has occurred.

It then interrupts power fast enough to help prevent serious injury from electrical shock. Test GFCIs according to the manufacturer’s instructions monthly and after major electrical storms to make sure they are working properly.

 

Plugs

Make sure your plugs fit your outlets. Never remove the ground pin (the third prong) to make a three-prong fit a two-conductor outlet; this could lead to an electrical shock.

NEVER FORCE A PLUG INTO AN OUTLET IF IT DOESN’T FIT.

Plugs should fit securely into outlets. Avoid overloading outlets with too many appliances.

 

 

Cords

Make sure cords are in good condition not frayed or cracked.

Make sure they are placed out of traffic areas.

Cords should never be nailed or stapled to the wall, baseboard or to another object.

Do not place cords under carpets or rugs or rest any furniture on them.

 

Tamper Resistant Outlet

Check for outlets that have loose-fitting plugs, which can overheat and lead to fire.

Replace any missing or broken wall plates.

Make sure there are safety covers on all unused outlets that are accessible to children.

“Use a Tamper Receptacle Outlet for your children’s safe”

 

 

Small Electrical Repairs, Maintenance and Installations

Of all the repairs that you may do around your home, the most potentially devastating mistakes are in faulty electrical wiring!

Countless house fires are caused by poor wiring techniques, substandard materials, faulty extension cords, or defective electrical appliances.

The trouble and the trap lies in the apparent simplicity of electrical work.

Small mistakes can cause quick and severe consequences.

Poor wiring techniques can cause shock hazards that may not be evident till the accident happens.

There are no exceptions allowed here. Always meet or, preferably exceed, any code standards for the type of work you are doing.

Educate yourself, read, get advise from your local building inspector, or hire a licensed electrician if you are not totally clear as to what you need to do. But please don’t put your life and your family’s at risk to save a few bucks. It’s just not worth it!