A professional electrician steps in when homeowners’ DIY solutions go wrong – in the funniest way! Unfortunately, when the average person takes on home electrical repairs in order to cut costs, many times things don’t go as planned. It’s clear they should’ve spent the extra money in order to hire a professional electrician!

Here are a few of the tales we’ve heard when things went awry with homeowner DIY electrical projects.

Ceiling Fan Takes Flight 

The man of the house was in a hurry to get a new ceiling fan installed before his wife got home. Rushed for time, he didn’t read the red tag attached to the fan and proceeded with the project, finishing the wiring just as she walked through the door. He flipped the switch, anticipating her admiration. The fan began to spin, going faster and faster – then abruptly crashed to the floor! While cleaning up the wreckage, he found the red tag, which said: “use proper support….”

Clearly, had the homeowner hired a professional electrician this problem would not have happened and they could have avoided the extra expense for damage repairs! 

A Shocking Email

When an electrical outlet needed to be replaced, the homeowner undertook the task to get it done himself. He shut off the proper circuit breaker in the electrical panel and checked the outlet with a voltage tester – power off, okay!

He began unscrewing the wire from the outlet. Just as the screwdriver touched the head of the terminal screw, his phone in his pocket started vibrating alerting him of an incoming email. Thinking he was being electrocuted, he threw the screwdriver across the room, where it crashed through the window, shattering the glass. Hiring a professional electrician might have been a better option – and certainly less expensive!

Duct-Tape Failure

In order to cut energy costs, the homeowner installed a programmable thermostat to replace the old style one. The job went well—or so he thought, until his wife started kicking him at 4 in the morning – the temperature in the house was a nose-numbing 45 degrees! To remedy the situation, he removed the new thermostat and duct-taped the old one back in place. When he heard the heat turn on, he smiled and went back to bed.

Walking into the house after work that afternoon, he was struck by a blast of hot air. Apparently, the weight of the old thermostat had pulled the duct tape from the wall, leaving the thermostat set in the ‘on’ position. The gauge read a toasty 110 degrees!

A professional electrician could have handled this small job quickly and easily – without incident!

Common Misconceptions

Many residential electrical jobs appear to be simple and easy to do using just a screwdriver and pliers. This mistake can lead to unsafe repairs which can result in overheating, short circuits, faulty grounding, fire and shock hazards. Anytime wiring in your home is required a professional electrician should be called. 

The most important issues with DIY electricians are safety concerns. Any kind of electrical work can be dangerous, and without proper knowledge and skills, a seemingly minor issue can become hazardous. Even a minor mistake can cause a fire, or at the very least could shock someone. 

Not hiring a professional electrician who has the appropriate training, skills, and experience is always the better choice than doing it yourself. Next time, give our certified electricians a call and we’ll get the job done right!

 

All Current Electric

913-825-3506

Serving the Kansas City metro for more than 20 years!

Licensed and Insured

 

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