Being a homeowner comes with more than a few perks. The ability to upgrade and renovate your house is one of them. You are free to repaint your cabinets, hang floating shelves, or put down new flooring. But some renovations should always be entrusted to experts. When it comes to your home’s electrical systems, changes should always be made by a licensed electrician. The risks involved in unskilled electrical work are far too high, including injury, fire risk, and accidental violation of building codes.
Renovations are fun and you should enjoy the freedom to upgrade your home, as long as you take the right safety precautions. Let’s explore how your home’s electrical system works and why electric renovations should never be DIY’d.
Your home is wired with several electrical circuits. Wires run behind the walls, powering outlets, appliances, and light fixtures. Each circuit is balanced so that the number of outlets and fixtures is unlikely to overload the current or overheat the wires.
If you’ve ever flipped a few breakers, you may have noticed that circuits tend to be associated with areas of the house, one to three rooms at a time. Lighting is often on its own circuit and, recently, code requires bathroom GFCIs to have a designated circuit.
Each circuit connects to a breaker, which will cut off the power if the circuit becomes overloaded. Both the circuit distribution and the breaker help to prevent the risk of accidental electrocution or house fires. However, any mistakes in either the wiring precision or the circuit balance can put your safety at risk.
The Allure of DIY
Many homeowners love the idea of DIY projects. It’s a chance to work with your hands, personalising your house while also saving money on home improvements. You may have already completed a few surface-level projects to beautify your home. It can be satisfying to make your home more attractive, add useful features, and improve on your home’s original design. You may even feel confident that you have become handier as a result. However, electrical work is different. There are risks involved that no amount of painting or hanging shelves will compare to.
While you may love to DIY, it’s never a good idea to try DIY upgrades to your circuits, light fixtures, or outlets.
Risks of Amateur Electrical Work
There is a reason why electricians train and apprentice for years before they begin to wire houses professionally. Even installing a new light fixture or outlet requires the utmost care because of the risks involved. It’s important to understand those risks to know why inexpert electrical work can be so dangerous.
The first and most immediate risk is electric shock. If you do not know the proper safety protocols for working on an outlet, circuit, or fixture, there is a serious risk that you or someone nearby will get electrocuted. This can be extremely painful and even potentially fatal.
Have you ever seen a scorched outlet? One incorrect twist of wire to an outlet’s terminals can result in overheated wires and scorching. In worst-case scenarios, incorrectly wired circuits can become the source of house fires. The most dangerous part is that these sparks and fires often happen days, weeks, or even years after the mistake was made.
We mentioned earlier that each circuit is carefully balanced so that the current does not overload the wires. Adding even one extra outlet to an existing circuit can cause the wires to overheat, damaging circuits. You can even damage your appliances.
Lastly, in order for a home to be sold in the future, your electrical wiring must be up to code. Amateur electrical work can cause your home to go “out of code”, which will require professional and signed electrical repairs before the home is legally safe.
The Expertise of Licensed Electricians
Becoming a licensed electrician requires trade school, apprenticeship, observed on-the-job training and an extensive exam. Only then does an electrician have the expertise necessary to safely wire, rewire, or renovate a home. These skills should not be taken lightly, as they include vast knowledge of safety codes and best practices that keep modern homes electrically safe, though each home runs kilowatts of current behind the walls every year.
Professional electricians play an essential role in ensuring safety and code compliance for every home and business. They are responsible not only for safe initial installations, but also safe renovations and often find themselves fixing old DIY wiring jobs that put houses at risk. Licensed electricians are dedicated to keeping homes and families safe, from new home constructions to creative renovations.
Renovating your house is a freedom you should enjoy. While there are many projects you can DIY, always call a licensed electrician if you want to make changes to your home’s circuits, outlets, or light fixtures. Local electricians like Astley Electrical are happy to help you personalise your home with practical and creative updates. Whether you desire USB-capable outlets, built-in induction charging pads, or want to add light fixtures to under-illuminated rooms, we are here to help.
Electrical installations should always be performed by licensed electricians due to their complexity, the potential for hazards, and the need for expert knowledge to ensure safety and adherence to regulations. Contact Astley Electrical to complete your next renovation plans.
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