Electrician's Tips For Home DIY

If you’re thinking of carrying out some electrical DIY in your home, then we’d like to offer a few electricians tips to avoid any serious accidents and hospital visits. Many people die each year from electrical accidents, and it would be far better if it were none. Many people don’t always realise the dangers that electricity poses, but playing around with electricity without due care and attention can really place you in terrible danger.

Electricity will always pose a danger to us, but what can you do to mitigate the risk of accidents in the home when we’re carrying out DIY? 

To begin with, always know where your cables are.

There is nothing worse than drilling into the walls and suddenly hitting a cable. Accidentally drilling into a live one can mean electric shocks and an electrical fire with dire consequences. Make sure your fuse box has an RCD because if this were to happen, an RCD will cut the power immediately as soon as it detects a power surge. However, the best thing to do is switch the power off and then check where all your cables are before you start work. 

Are your power tools in good condition?

Always make sure all cables don’t have any exposed wires and that all sockets are not frayed at the edges. If you’re buying a new power tool for some electrical work, make sure it’s fit for use and from a reputable manufacturer. It should come with a BSI kitemark to show it’s been tested and is safe to use. Always make sure the power lead attached to your power tool is where you can see it, so that you don’t cut through it accidentally and cause a fire. 

Ask the advice of a registered, qualified and experienced electrician.

We’d also suggest you ask a registered electrician for advice on anything you’re unsure of, because we know that when you’re unsure of what you’re doing where electrics are concerned, that’s when the accidents happen.

Switch everything off before starting a job.

As we’ve briefly covered above, making sure the power is off is probably one of the safest things you can do when carrying out small, simple electrical DIY jobs in your home. When it’s switched off it causes the least harm, making it easier and quicker for you to continue with your job without concerns about cables, your power tools or anything else. 

VC Electrical - Experienced, Expert Electricians

We are a team of registered electricians, and we can answer your queries, help you with electrical jobs, both big and small. We’re registered with a government scheme, we’re all experienced in what we do and we’ve all been trained and qualified. This places you in the safest of hands when it comes to all your electrical jobs. Contact us anytime, and we’re more than happy to offer advice and guidance on your DIY, and any jobs you’d like us to come and do in your home.