Common Electrical Mistakes Homeowners Make

Electrical wiring can be easy for the average homeowner, and you can carry out repairs if you are knowledgeable enough. However, one wrong move with electricity and the outcome could be expensive to fix and in some cases even tragic.

Getting a professional to handle electrical work is always a wise investment, and unless you are trained and qualified, you should avoid performing tasks that involve electricity. Every year, hundreds of people take up electrical work as a DIY project, risking safety hazards and electrical fires.

Over the past thirty years, at Hoover Electric, we’ve dealt with numerous clients who made errors while undertaking electrical fixes themselves or hiring unqualified help. For your safety, we have compiled a list of the most common mistakes people make when dealing with electrical issues in their houses and how to avoid them.

1. Doing the work themselves without a permit. Doing electrical work yourself is alright, as long as you get an electrical permit through ESA before covering up any work done. An inspector has to take a look later to approve what has been done. If you handle a job without a permit and an inspector finds out about it, he can hand out fines and make you tear open the walls to see what you have done.

2. Buying incorrect LED or CFL light bulbs. These days people are becoming energy efficient and purchasing LED or CFL bulbs to replace old incandescent light bulbs. The bulbs should be approved for the type of fixture they are put in. If you are putting them in a sealed fixture, get a light bulb suitable for totally enclosed fixtures. Another thing to account for is fixing lights on a dimmer; only certain LED or CFL light bulbs work with dimmers so use the right ones accordingly.

3. Going with the lowest price. It is always a good idea to get a quote, and often smarter to get multiple quotes if you are not familiar with the local contractor. Don’t be quick to go with the lowest price. It is important that everyone has quoted for the same thing and you are getting what you want. If one price is considerably lower, there is usually a reason for it.

4. Hiring unqualified people to do the work. When hiring someone to handle electrical work, it is essential to hire a qualified person. A licensed electrical contractor should have an electrical license number on their work vehicle. If they are not qualified, it is not only unsafe to work with them, but it is illegal and can lead to large fines.

To avoid these and other mistakes, reach out to the experts at Hoover Electric. We are a family owned and operated, electrical contracting company, that has been handling jobs in Dryden and surrounding area for the last thirty years. Our professionally trained staff are fully committed to resolving any electrical needs in a timely and fairly priced manner. We serve a large repeat customer base, dealing with both residential and commercial applications. For a complete list of services, please click here. If you have any questions about electrical contracting, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us here.