You may have grown up hearing stories of how relatives in the past could take care of any work around the house themselves. Someone may have even offered to step in to help after you mentioned that one of the outlets in your own home hasn’t been working. Although it might be tempting to attempt a DIY outlet repair, this can be potentially dangerous. Instead of trying to manage electrical repairs on your own, you should contact a professional to handle the job promptly, efficiently, and most important of all, safely.
Risk of Electrical Shock
Even if you think you’ve turned off the power to the house, you can never be too sure. In other words, you might hit the wrong switch, or you might not be entirely confident about how exactly to shut down the power. If you attempt to fix an outlet by yourself and electricity is still flowing into your home, you could end up getting a deadly shock. One of our certified electricians will ensure that the power is shut down to the house before beginning the work.
Incorrect Diagnosis
Another major issue is that you could end up incorrectly diagnosing the problem. You might think that the outlet needs to be adjusted when the real issue is that an entirely new outlet is needed. There are many ways in which you could misdiagnose the problem. A misdiagnosis of an outlet issue can be a serious problem that leads to further damage to the home’s electrical system or even to a fire.
Sparking a Fire
Professional electricians know how to work with electrical equipment safely. An incorrect diagnosis or faulty repair could lead to an electrical fire, risking not just your property but your life. Electrical fires dont always start immediately, either: You could face a fire days, weeks, or months after attempting to repair an electrical outlet.
Unresolved Issue
Every DIY job doesn’t result in a deadly fire, but you might still walk away from the outlet not having completed the job properly. In other words, you might think that you’ve resolved the problem only to find that the outlet is malfunctioning again in a matter of hours or days.
Additional Problems with Your Home’s Electrical System
On top of failing to resolve the original issue, you could end up causing further damage to your home’s electrical system. You might puncture wires that lead to malfunctioning devices or flip improper switches in your home’s breaker box, leading to power outages. Some people attempt to fix outlets by themselves to save money. However, doing so can just lead to bigger problems that come with larger price tags since you’ll need to call professionals to fix both the mistakes you made and the original issue.
Exposed Wires
Attempting to fix an outlet yourself could lead to damage that manifests later on, or an issue could arise while you’re in the process of attempting the repair. Our team members know how to safely work with exposed outlets and can identify threats in the area. Even if you do properly shut off the electricity to your home, the wires could be pulled at, bitten, or otherwise damaged during or after your work with them, leading to potentially deadly trouble later.
Failure to Adhere to Code
For safety purposes, electrical work needs to be completed up to code. Our team of experts knows what the local codes are and how to maintain compliance when completing the work. If youre not familiar with the code and how to follow it, you could face serious compliance issues that not only leave you exposed to electrical fires but can complicate the sale of your home years down the road.
Difficulty Selling the House
Whether you’re planning to put the house on the market in the near future or are simply envisioning a time when you’ll sell the property, DIY electrical work can cause a problem. Potential buyers may pass on the house because they are worried about the safety hazards that DIY electrical work can pose. Home inspectors might flag the non-compliant electrical wiring, too, meaning youll need to contact a professional and bring your home up to code before your home can be sold.
Wasted Time
When people attempt to fix the outlets by themselves, they often soon realize that the project is more than they can handle. You may find yourself in the same situation where you end up having to call a professional after wasting time trying to do the work yourself.
Wasted Money
Even DIY projects typically cost money. You’ll need to get in the supplies to complete the job, such as the right tools and a new outlet. However, since the work will eventually have to be redone by a professional, you will have wasted money on the supplies in the first place.
Lack of Proper Equipment
Only a professional can tell exactly what equipment is needed to complete the job. For example, you might purchase an outlet that isn’t compatible with the home’s wiring system or use a tool that damages the outlet cover. Using the wrong tools for the job can lead to problems ranging from minor snafus to fatal fires.
Lack of Experience
Your lack of experience as a professional electrician is also likely to lead to difficulties. You might falsely believe that fixing the outlet is an easy and simple fix. However, when you remove the original outlet from the wall, you may discover other problems that render the job more complicated. Without experience, tackling these additional hurdles can be difficult, dangerous, or even impossible.
Protection in the Event of Issues
If you are attempting to fix an outlet yourself and something goes wrong, you have no support to protect you or your belongings. While professionals are trained and skilled, issues can arise when working with electrical units. For example, your house may have been improperly wired in the past, which could cause problems when the electrician is performing the work. Licensed electricians come with insurance to protect you if damage occurs.
Trust Our Experts for Your Home Electrical Repairs
Instead of trying to perform this dangerous and difficult project by yourself, call Childers Air Plumbing & Electric for professional and safe assistance with your home’s electrical issues. We serve Beckley and the surrounding area, and we have been working in the field for over 70 years. In addition to diagnosing and repairing malfunctioning outlets, we can also work on generators, surge protection, and electrical panels.
Our team provides a full range of electrical, HVAC, and plumbing services as well. We offer services for plumbing issues, water heaters, drain cleaners, water filtration, and water softening and can replace, repair, and install HVAC units in your home. We work on commercial properties as well as private homes. To get started on making your living space safer and more comfortable, contact Childers Air Plumbing & Electric in Beckley today.
