Bad Electrical DIY Resources

Bad Electrical DIY Resources

The threat of unregistered electricians and dangerous DIY electrical works being carried out in unsuspecting households is showing no sign of abating just yet. From the expert on line forum user suddenly being able to install garden lighting to the genuine mix up when changing light fittings, householders are often hesitant to pick up the phone to speak to a qualified and registered electrician until disaster occurs or serious damage has occurred.

Electricians up and down the country will be familiar with the call that starts with “my lights don’t work”…..the familiar mantra that will take to a property and see all manner of attempts to carry out a straight forward electrical job – from the ‘chock block’ to over heating cables to well who knows……

But who is really to blame?

Of course it is very easy to point our fingers and curse the householder silently for their esteemed stupidity, however with the plethora of resources available to enable a householder to carry out electrical work, can we really blame them for having a try?

Such resources can be found very routinely at your local library. Very amazing are these books that step by step instructions are given for major electrical projects such as installing an electric shower, outdoor floodlights and taking power to an outside workshop or garage!

These by far not the only readily available resources give out a confusing message to the public who are already confused by when or when not to call an electrician. Such publications are actively encouraging DIY electrical work that could endanger or cause serious electrical injury.

So with householders scrambling for the latest electrical DIY manual or on line forums containing all the advice you need for confident electrical DIY where does this leave the electrician?

Busier than ever!

If there is any good news to be had, it is the fact that electricians are being kept busy remedying and repairing DIY electrical work. A third of UK electricians have seen or repaired DIY electrical work that resulted in electrical fire, injury or which would cost a considerable sum of money to repair.

However with many householders switched off to the idea or unaware of safety and certification, how can they be persuaded to use the services of a qualified and registered electrician?

One of the up and coming major contributors is home insurance. Increasing numbers of insurance companies are invalidating cover for electrical work carried out in kitchens and bathrooms and if there is one thing your customer will be wanting to avoid is an invalid home insurance policy.

In addition, selling the property may become more difficult and the sale value may well be affected. Clever surveying methods now detect when electrical work was carried out so without an Electrical Installation Condition Report or Part P certificate, how will the buyer know if the work is safe? The costs of finding this out will be expensive and any works needed will come at a cost of course. This will of course could be reflected in the offer price. So that DIY work to save a few quid may come back to bite in years to come.

If you don’t know don’t DIY

DIY books, and on line instructions are never going to go away but don’t allow such information to tantalise you into a potentially dangerous (and costly) position.

It is far safer to call in an expert professional electrician who will ensure that the job is done as quickly as possible, safely and at reasonable cost. The cost will be far cheaper than having to have the work re done at a later date if your DIY attempt goes wrong.

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