If you are like many homeowners, you may have a romantic idea regarding home repairs. If you consider yourself a weekend warrior, you may watch a few YouTube videos, stock up on supplies at the local home goods store and attempt to fix things on your own.
While this may be a fine approach for some home repairs, when it comes to electrical work, the best course of action is to leave it to the pros. If you are a DIYer and you venture into the electrical world as part of your home improvements, you may cause damage, or even injure yourself.
Some of the reasons to avoid DIY electrical repairs can be found here.
It’s Dangerous
One of the main reasons that handling electrical work on your own is a bad idea is because it can be extremely dangerous. Also, if your work is subpar, it may result in the accidental electrocution to yourself, or other people in your home. In some situations, this may lead to fatal injuries.
The bottom line is that it isn’t worth the risk. While you may save a little bit of money trying to do the work yourself, it isn’t worth the possible risk of injury and damages.
It’s Ineffective
Even if the electrical work you do doesn’t cause damages or injuries, there is a high probability of shorts, premature failure or the need for expensive repairs down the road.
Unless you have some prior experience working as a licensed electrician, then it isn’t a good idea to try and handle electrical work on your own.
It May Lead to Fires
Electrical fires are some of the most devastating situations that can occur to a home or building, and these can lead to billions of dollars in costs and damages each year. In fact, according to a report that was published by the National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association, the cost of injuries, deaths and damages each year because of electrical fires totaled to more than $3.4 billion in the U.S. alone.
Additionally, firefighting officials have stated that electrical fires are one of the top causes of injuries to firefighters every year. In fact, almost 60 percent of all injuries to firefighters were the result of electrical fires.
DIY Repairs Won’t be Up to Code
There is a reason that there are electrical codes for homes. If your DIY work isn’t up to the requirements and standards that have been set, then it may cause your homeowner’s insurance to be invalid.
Even if your electrical work will hold up for a while, any type of damage that takes place down the road won’t be covered by the insurance policy. Saving just a few dollars in the short term may lead to a costly fix in the future.
For anything beyond changing out an outlet cover or light switch, then you should hire a professional electrician. They will be able to fix the issue and ensure that your insurance policy remains valid.