4 Common DIY Electrical Mistakes

It can be tempting to look for ways to save money around your Bradenton, Florida, home by taking on repairs and maintenance yourself. Although some DIY projects are certainly doable, even by those without much experience, others should be handled by a skilled professional. Electrical work typically falls under the second category, although some homeowners still try to tackle these tasks themselves. Watch out for these common mistakes often made by do-it-yourselfers.

Box Installation Errors

Installing a new electrical box probably seems like one of the simplest tasks in the realm of electrical work, but it’s actually fairly complex. If your box sticks out too far from the wall, it won’t sit flush against the drywall when you finish the installation process. Installing it too far into the wall will make it hard to reach the fuses when you need to reset one of them. Some boxes also require extension rings, and the thickness of the ring might vary depending on which box you choose.

Installing your electrical box incorrectly could cause issues with the wiring throughout the home, so it’s important to leave this task to a skilled and licensed professional.

Installing Outlets

Maybe you’ve always wanted a few more outlets in your bedroom or the sitting area of your home. Installing a new outlet or two seems simple enough, right? Not exactly. Wire size matters, as every wire is rated for a specific number of amps, as is the fuse to which you will connect the wires.

Choosing an improperly rated wire means you could end up blowing a fuse or causing a fire hazard when you have something more powerful plugged into the outlet. A heavy-looking wire doesn’t necessarily have the power to handle the needs of your devices, so don’t go down this road if you don’t know how to install the right wiring properly for an outlet.

Swapping Out Fuses

When you’re constantly dealing with blown fuses, you might think that swapping one out for a larger unit could be an easy fix you could tackle yourself. However, this is one of the most dangerous moves you can make. Every fuse and breaker is rated at a certain level, and those ratings protect the rating of the wire and reduce the risk of sparks and fires.

Putting in a fuse that isn’t rated properly increases the risk in your home, which increases the danger anytime you have an appliance or device plugged into an outlet. The wires can get overheated, which could lead to a fire in your home. Another risk is continued fuse blowouts, which will probably make you even more frustrated since this is the problem you were trying to fix in the first place. Stay away from the fuse box, and call a professional if you’re having issues with the circuits.

Wrapped, Loose Wires

If the wiring in your home is weak or poorly connected, you might notice problems such as flickering lights or switches that don’t work properly. Some people respond to this problem by opening up the wall, stripping down the wire, and wrapping another wire around it to create a stronger connection. Doing so increases the risk of an electrical fire, especially when you’re not using the proper hardware or procedures to connect wires together.

Wire nuts are necessary for any type of connection, but even the use of these components doesn’t guarantee a safe way to reconnect damaged wires. With a poor connection to an outlet or light switch, you might feel electrical shocks when you plug something in or you could notice that they feel hot to the touch. Either of these issues is cause for serious concern, so make sure to call a professional electrician to figure out where the loose connection is and how to repair it.

Avoid the risk and keep your home safe by leaving electrical repairs and maintenance to a licensed electrician. Instead of tackling any type of electrical repair on your own, you can always trust our team of professionals at Luminous Electric.