Don’t Let Electrical DIY Horror Stories Become Your Reality – Instead, Trust Our Lancaster PA Electrician Team
Many of us sometimes feel intrepid or adventurous in our homes, and want to venture into all kinds of home or office remodeling projects. And Google can make certain things seem so easy to do.
Now, replacing existing devices and fixtures, installing dimmer switches or replacing an old ceiling light is relatively easy and safe – just make sure you don’t forget to first turn off the electricity.
However, household electrical remodeling and repairs can be quite unpredictable. And not in a good way!
If you get into foggy and often dangerous territory where you know a few things about the DIY job, also know that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.
Let’s say you know 92% about electrical work – it’s the remaining 8% that can hurt you or damage your property.
Did you know that, according to the U.S. Centers For Disease Control, from 1992 to 2002, electrocution was #6 in the list of reasons for workplace fatalities?
Also, did you know that, in addition to 200 amps (which is what’s coming to most homes’ service panels) being able to kill you, even 15A or 20A, depending on the conditions, is enough to kill you?
Here’s a confession of Lee Wallender, from AboutHome.com, that will perfectly illustrate the kind of DIY electrical disaster that can happen:
“I was working on an outlet, trying to straighten out “creative work” that a previous owner had inflicted on his electrical system. I flipped off the circuit, tested the outlet with my voltage tester; clear.
I unscrewed the outlet and pulled it straight back while wearing just my usual work gloves. Then I removed my gloves to get a better grip on the wires. That’s when it happened.
With both hands touching the metal device, a circuit was completed through my arms and body. My right hand was locked on the metal pliers and my left hand on the device. My body and head shook violently from side to side. My vision whited out and I found it hard to see anything in the room.
A portion of my brain kept telling my hands that they had to let loose. Yet I could not do it. I willed myself and willed myself, yet I found it absolutely impossible. The shock so seized every part of my body and brain that I knew I could not keep on living if this shock persisted.
But my hands remained locked. Yet in my position, kneeling on a rubber mat and my body tensed up with electricity, my body was not pliable enough to fall down.
Then, in a way that I still do not understand, that small reasoning portion of my brain was able to will my hands to release from the device. I found myself on the floor and heard a horrible screaming and it seemed like someone else, but it was me.
Even after I was released, I felt like my heart would stop at any moment. For hours afterward, I was shaken. My left hand thumb and index fingers were cut because the electric shock had forced them to grip the metal edges of the outlet so hard…”
So, does this sound like an experience you’d love to have? Or, more like a horror story!
When you start messing with electrical circuits and running new cables around your home or office space, two things are likely to happen, both potentially lethal – electric shock and fire. It’s time to call in an experienced, licensed Lancaster PA electrician.
We recently saw a picture of a DIY bathroom remodel, showing a wall switch mounted inside the shower stall. Even if you’re a layman, it should be easy to imagine the consequences of standing in a wet shower while flicking that light switch. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.
Electrical fire can also cause major property damage, leading to considerable financial, emotional and social costs, especially if it was the result of DIY electrical work, which may lead to an insurer refusing a claim.
Photo source: homedit.com
That electrical work may be riskier than you think is also found in the evidence that over a quarter of electrical fires in homes are caused by faulty electrical wiring and equipment. What’s great about this is that almost 100% of those fires are preventable.
Different aspects of electrical work that involve wire nuts, cable connectors, and much more, have very strict codes that should not be violated. Otherwise, you’re asking for trouble.
If you do your own electrical work, know that, if it involves anything more complex than changing an existing light fixture or outlet, adding a dimmer switch or a ceiling fan controller, you probably need a permit and to have it inspected.
Licensed electrical contractors carry liability insurance and can provide a certificate of inspection proving that the work performed meets current code requirements.
The process of trying to obtain an electrical permit adds another level of frustration. Have your electricians in Lancaster PA do the work for you.
There’s another aspect of DIY projects to consider: spending time performing risky electrical work by yourself versus other things you could be doing instead – such as traveling, going out to eat or see a movie, playing sports or playing with your kids.
We agree, running electrical wires and cables through a cobwebbed basement cannot compare with all these other fun activities you could be doing instead. So hire a Lancaster PA electrician and spend more time with your loved ones doing what you like – and what’s not going to potentially put you, your family, and or your home in danger.
When it comes to the safety of your home, your most valued investment, and the safety of your family, your most valued treasure, the last thing you should do is risk it but “doing it yourself”.
The cost of hiring Home One electrician is minimal compared to how much horror stories can cost you – doing an electrical job by yourself and burning down your house or even worse, hurting a family member, which would lead to a life-time of regret.
No job is too small or too big, too risky or too complex for our Lancaster PA electricians at Home One Services.
We are here for you and your home or your office – give us a call today:
Contact Us.
Jim has 25 years of electrical and handyman service experience. Jim is currently working on helping grow our Electrical Division. Outside of work he enjoys playing softball and volleyball, as well as spending time with his family. When he has free time he is an avid motorcycle enthusiast!
