by Polymath

Created on: May 18, 2007   Last Updated: May 20, 2007

Do It Yourself, or Hire an Electrician?

This is pretty straightforward: if you don't know the basics of electricity and electrical safety, then do the work necessary to learn them or hire someone. So, how do you determine if you really know enough to do the job yourself?

If you can't explain the basics of electrical safety to someone else, then you don't understand it well enough to keep yourself safe when working around electrical power. Remember, electricity has the potential to kill - even the power from a 12 volt car battery (under the right conditions). If you don't understand why this is so, you don't know enough to safely work around live circuits. Period.

Doing routine electrical work around the house - changing a switch or outlet, hanging a ceiling fan, etc. - is within the capability of most people, if:
1. They have complete, detailed instructions; and,
2. The circuit is de-energized.
Detailed instructions for these types of jobs are available for free at most large building supply stores.

If you choose to do it yourself you should consider the risks involved.
1. Working on any circuit that you have not absolutely verified to be 'dead' (de-energized) has the potential to make *you* dead.
2. If you mis-wire something, or are careless about exposed wires and connections, you may start a fire in your house when you re-energize the circuit. Depending on your states' laws, your homeowner's insurance may or may not cover this. Only you can determine your risk, and whether you are willing to accept it.

Should you choose to hire an electrician, ensure that he is licensed. A handyman who doesn't really know what he is doing can expose you to the same risks as if you had done the work improperly yourself.

Basic electrical work and electrical safety are not hard to learn. Good books are readily available at used bookstores and the library, and there is a wealth of information online. And hanging a ceiling fan or changing a fixture can be rewarding DIY experiences. Just remember to give electricity the same level of respect that you would to anything else that is potentially deadly.

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