Working with electricity is one of the most dangerous things that you can attempt to do yourself. In almost all cases, it is better to enlist the help of a professional to fix a loose wire, change an outlet or add circuits to your home’s electrical panel.
Let’s take a look at a few reasons why you shouldn’t attempt to engage in any household tasks involving electrical components.
Small Mistakes Can Lead to Serious Injuries
You may know that you’re supposed to turn the power off before replacing a fixture or fixing a wire. However, you can’t be sure that there isn’t any power flowing to a particular item before you work with it.
Therefore, you run the risk of electrocution simply by touching a wire, outlet or other item related to your home’s electrical system. You may also run the risk of serious injury if a tool comes into contact with a wire or an outlet, as this could result in a closed circuit. It may be possible to mitigate this by using tools that have rubber handles or by wearing rubber gloves or other safety gear that features materials that don’t conduct electricity.
This may be especially true if you don’t wear any protective gear, such as goggles, gloves or clothing that covers your skin. Failure to do so may result in burns to your face, hands and other sensitive body parts. You also run the risk of cardiac arrest, which could lead to sudden death or increase your risk of death if not treated right away.
Mistakes Can Cause Serious Damage to Your Home
In addition to the potential for serious injury, a mistake while working on an electrical component may result in significant damage to your home. For example, if you overload a circuit, it could create enough heat to cause an electrical fire.
In some cases, electrical fires will remain confined to inside the walls or other interior spaces where you cannot see them. Ultimately, this means that they can smolder for hours or longer before you notice that anything is wrong.
Signs of an electrical fire may include the presence of smoke, a burning smell coming from an outlet, or an outlet that is charred or hot to the touch. The risk of an electrical fire may be enhanced if your home has outdated wiring. It’s not uncommon for older homes to use aluminum wires instead of copper, which are more likely to overheat and burn.
Improper wiring may also cause damage to appliances such as a washer, dryer or water heater. You also risk damage to the electrical panel itself. If the electrical panel is damaged, it may be difficult or impossible to run anything in your home safely until it’s repaired or replaced, and doing so could cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.
You May Be Breaking the Law
In many localities, electrical repairs must be made by a licensed professional to be considered up to code. This is generally true even if your work would otherwise meet the standards set by local codes or other relevant statutes.
Often, you’ll need a permit to make significant changes to your home, such as installing a new electrical panel or rewiring your home. To obtain the permit, you’ll need proof that the work was done by a professional.
At a minimum, you would need to have a professional come to your home and inspect the work done to ensure that it’s up to code. Therefore, it’s generally in your best interest to simply hire an electrician to do the work and ensure that it’s done right the first time.
You should also consider that your homeowners’ insurance policy might not cover damage caused by work not done up to code. If your house was damaged in an electrical fire or for any other reason related to your shoddy handywork, you might be required to pay for it by yourself.
Be Wary of Secondary Injuries
Another issue that you need to consider when doing any sort of home maintenance is that it can be physically taxing, even if done safely. For instance, you might spend a lot of time hunched over, on your knees or otherwise in awkward positions while trying to pry open an outlet or put new wiring in your home. You may also put yourself at risk of injury by climbing a ladder or using other equipment in an improper or unsafe manner.
This may increase your risk of knee, leg or other types of injuries. Even a minor muscle pull or tendon strain could result in chronic soreness or pain, and a major pull or strain could keep you out of work or reduce your overall quality of life permanently.
The risk of an injury is higher if you have any type of existing health issue, such as a bad back or trouble breathing. Instead of risking your health and ability to provide for yourself and your family, call a professional who will do the job safely and efficiently.
Rethink the Cost Savings
You might think that doing the work yourself is going to save you money on your upcoming home improvement project. However, you have to consider how much time it is going to take to get the work done. A professional may be able to have a project done in a matter of hours or within the course of a single weekend.
Meanwhile, you may take days or weeks to finish a project. In the meantime, you’ll have to figure out what to do with no or limited electricity, and you’ll also need to have a safety plan in place until the project is complete to avoid injuries to family members or pets.
You might also need to pay for tools, materials and other items that you don’t have right now. That can add hundreds of dollars to your project, as well as the time that it takes to acquire them.
After you start, you may realize that you’re in over your head and need to call a professional. In a worst-case scenario, a professional will have to redo the work that you have done, which adds to the total cost.
Ultimately, trying to do DIY electrical work can be as hazardous to your wallet as it is to your house or your physical health. Therefore, your best move is to call a professional first to ensure that the work is done as quickly and affordably as possible.
If you are in need of a quality electrician, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team today. In addition to electrical panel installation and electrical system repairs, we can also install generators or EV charging stations. This can help to ensure that your home meets your comfort and safety needs throughout the year.
Give the professionals at Mackey Services in Houston a call today to learn more about how we can help or to schedule a service appointment.
