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Electrical work that you should leave to an electrician

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Electrical work that you should leave to an electrician

There’s never been a time where homeowners are taking to the tools themselves and DIY renovations and maintenance is a growing trend, particularly with the abundance of “how to” videos at our fingertips and shows like The Block.  

Although we never recommend anyone other than a qualified electrician to do electrical work around a home, here are a few home DIY jobs we definitely recommend you steer clear from;  

  1. Trimming overhanging branches with ladders and power tools. Power tools on ladders around electrical wires are quite simply a bad and dangerous combination. Cutting through electrical overhead wiring can cause electrocution and damage.  Also falling off ladders is one of the biggest reasons people have to go into hospital emergency rooms. It’s not worth the risk. Plus, your insurance won’t cover damages made and fixing damaged wires can be in the thousands. Don’t risk this tricky job, as tempting as it looks to do it yourself!  
  2. Electrical Fault Finding Actually you can do this to an extent. If a circuit fails, you can do some work yourself to figure out if it is a faulty appliance that is causing the short circuit. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do your own troubleshooting before you call us out to fix anything https://www.hornsbyelectric.com.au/hints-tips/. It basically involves a process of elimination whereby you disconnect one appliance at a time before switching the circuit back on. If it trips, you know you haven’t yet found the culprit. If it is an appliance, simply removing the appliance will fix the problem. If you can’t lay the blame on a particular appliance, obviously it is the work of a qualified electrician to do some fault finding and figure out where the issue is. If you have any buzzing or flashing, or loose live wires you should definitely call a qualified electrician, and avoid fixing or tinkering with anything yourself. In fact, turn off the circuit at the switchboard to ensure power isn’t running to the output in the meantime, while you wait for the electrician to arrive. 
  3. Replacing light fittings Although it might seem or look simple enough, this can also be the job of a qualified electrician. Again, you are dealing with ladders which can be dangerous. Not only that but often there needs to be changes to the circuits and wiring that need the knowledge of a qualified electrician. Simple changeovers might be ok but if you get in over your head, make sure you call your local electrician to help.  

 

Remember electricians are licensed professionals who carry all the tools and equipment to work safely on your home and they will test your installation to ensure you and your family are safe.

Hornsby Electric is a team of local electricians servicing homes and businesses in the North Shore, Hornsby and surrounds. Be sure to give us a call if you need a local electrician on 9477 2550.