Can men do basic electrical repairs at home by themselves?#construction #electrician

[HandOfSatan]

As an electrician I can tell you that even 90% of us professionals are not able to do basic repairs.

[morganhamm]

Homeowners have the right to repair their own property. Only in certain circumstances will you need to pull permits, but you can legally do all the work yourself because you’re not doing it commercially.

[subliminal]

It really depends on the area. Small fixes like an outlet or box etc you can do it yourself if you’re not licensed. The thing is the “ local law “ dictates the legality.
Long story short a handyman can do minor repairs with electric or plumbing no issue.

[whachyagonnado]

swiss here, apprenticeship is 4 years with 1 day school per week, 2 to 4 weeks practical training camp per year.
only swiss licenced companys with certified installers are allowed to do the work and are liable for the installation for 5 to 10 years .
if a customer dies per example due to a not grounded or overfused pool light the installer and or the company owner go to prison.

[michaeldavis]

I work as an electrician. I do not have my license. Yet. I do all that and more complicated work as well. The loop hole is that my boss has his license and is on the hook for anything we mess up. Luckily, we dont mess up very often.

[ernststravoblofeld]

Homeowners are allowed to do just about anything. They are supposed to get permits and inspections is some cases. Most people in the US just don't want to do that kind of work on their own, but it's legal, and many of us do our own work. The laws require so many qualifications of tradesman are largely to keep people out of the market and keep prices higher.

[DaryusD]

in my experience, 75% can't do basic home repair, but we lie and try anyway and usually end up doing a terrible job. Personally, when i do something, i usually research it, YouTube some tutorials, and judge if it's something i think i can't handle. I've replaced 110v outlets, a bathroom fan, and a garbage disposal.

[denniss]

I’m 74 years old and I’ve been an electrician for 97 years now. I do everything myself.

[jeremiegca]

In theory, at least in Canada (electrical code is essentially the same) yeah you're supposed to get a professional to do the work but it's mostly true in new construction. For renovations let's just say we tend to just do it ourselves. I'm not an electrician and I instal outlets and lamps all the time, I follow code. Our house are mostly wood so electrical fires are a real concern.

[angelsichor]

I do virtually everything myself. Light fittings, all manner of outlet replacement or installation, rerouting, water pumps, anything I can look at and have the tools for. No training just a head on my shoulders and the ability to learn. Folks who hire someone to fix a light switch I have no polite words for.

[clark]

My dad built our house by hand, he ran the wires, and plumbing by himself and called up professionals who said he did it perfectly and gave him something to pass inspection.

[Proven_Data]

I don’t know where in the United States you are, but at least where I am. An electrician can be certified as long as one person under the company is certified therefore they can work. Also, one of my certifications when I went through industrial maintenance school was electricity, and there wasn’t a requirement ofon site work class projects and practical applications within school

[yasuke]

I’m good I respect my boundaries with electricity.

[robertpulliam]

Im a plumber, i rewired my entire house and added more circuits for a addition i did. 3 way switches and all. I watched you tube videos and picked the brains of electricians on the jobsites i was working on. All the circuits are loades properly and wire is all sized correctly. Its been 7 years and notning has caught fire or shortes out yet.

[JustJoshinWithyou]

Actually not true. In NC you don’t need any school training to be an electrician, I learned everything from the field and passed my exam, now I work for myself

[jamesmooney]

This about Regulation. In San Francisco is Regulation are so bad, that the cost of building is out of site.
But a recently built high rise is sinking into the ground.

[onecrazywheel]

My apprenticeship was 4 years and 8000 hours on the job. Im a licensed journeyman electrician in the state of Florida. Best job ever. Now I work at a hospital full time. Good gig. God bless 🙏.

[thomasweiskopf]

"Service electricians" don't require licensing. You only really need a license if local laws require it. Most of the time it's when you're pulling permits for new builds

[andrewdubose]

I’m generally comfortable changing out something that was already there (e.g. light fixture, outlet, switch). Replaced the thermostat wire to add a C-wire.

My current and prior places were built in the early/mid 80’s, so lot of big changes to the NEC. From the bits and ends I have seen it or done, I get the feeling that a lot of the stuff was half-assed or just plain wrong.

Don’t assume you can or can’t do something, but learn enough to make a realistic and informed decision.

[tracynation]

Super. I'm a Sparky here in Berthoud, Colorado, U.S.A. Here in Colorado, you are allowed to wire, rewire, or add wiring to your own home, barn, shop, storage shed, outhouse, trailer, well, modular home, business, or anything on your side of the meter or main breaker, as long as you own it, get a permit, call before you dig, wire it properly, and have it inspected correctly. Unlicensed electricians aren't allowed to charge you for any "wiring" job, and can get in trouble for doing that and claiming that they are licensed, but anybody can help you wire the building and get paid for it. Repairing what is already there, or basic home repairs, like replacing a damaged switch, doesn't require a permit, or that you call a licensed electrician, and a lot of people try to fix the electrical issues themselves, and only call a Sparky after they can't fix it, or after it shocks them or causes a fire. From what I have seen, not many people do wiring in any of the many correct ways to do wiring. They don't even check the fuse or breaker or GFCI first, forget to shut off the power before wiring, are colorblind, make lousy connections, install damaged or incorrect wiring and overloaded circuits, run extra unneeded wiring, or jury rig breakers and fuses, and end up calling me only after causing many more problems, damaging their property, or hurting themselves. I have had extension cords in the walls or directly buried in the ground, Romex wires and EMT conduit installed inside and through working water drain pipes, or buried in the ground, bare copper ground wires connected to the breakers or fuses, (How many of you Sparkys and Handymen check the ground wire to see if it is hot? I do NOW, after getting zapped once, and I check the neutral line also, just in case. "The more you know.") 60 and 100 ampere breakers connected to from one to ten 12/2g or 14/2g Romex supply lines, 14/2 (No ground) supplying a dryer on a 60 ampere two pole breaker, #18 speaker wire used for a multi-lightbulb chandelier and dimmer switch, two 14/2g Romex lines, both "load sharing" side by side, both connected to a three prong 50 ampere receptacle and a 50 ampere 2 pole breaker, supplying a modern electric stove/oven, can lights connected with doorbell wire, and just a single lonely stranded wire from a newly installed switch box to the overhead light box, and the homeowner couldn't figure out how to get the light to come on. 🙂 People, call someone to help you. That $100.°° or $200.°° you can't afford could save you from losing everything. I love making trades, and I barter for my skills, so just ask up front, no shame. Decades ago, I rewired a bathroom for a "trade" that I really, really wanted, and that the homeowner approved of. I installed ceiling heat, shower light, bathroom light, mirror lights, three circuits and two quad GFCI/Decora receptacles (Eight outlets in the bathroom!) on each side of a huge mirrored medicine cabinet, an exhaust fan and ductwork, and a 3 gang + 2 gang switchbox by the door. (Heat and exhaust fan controls set away from the door in a two gang box, and shower, bath, and mirror light switches by the door in a three gang box. I could have two ganged the three light switches, but I didn't.) I also installed a hardwired wall phone jack on his bathroom wall. It was an easy job, he paid for the parts that I WANTED him to use, (Another customer issue, using cheap or unapproved parts.) the job took three "days" including two inspections, and they loved it. What would you Sparkys charge for that??? I traded him for eight slightly used Athearn Superpowered Bluebox EMD F-7A and F-7B HO scale model railroad diesel locomotives, in my railroads paint scheme, with an approximate value, brand new, of between $10.95 and $12.95 each back then, depending on which hobby shop you visited. In other words, he "paid" me about a hundred dollars for his whole bathroom rewire, and I was happy with it. Most Sparkys won't even look at a job for less than a hundred dollars now. The models still operate on my model railroad to this day, almost 40 years later, and he still loves the extra outlets and heat, and hasn't even had to replace a GFCI yet. I also help people fix their home or vehicle electrical for free, especially if they are kind, or need help, and I have helped people for a nice, home cooked dinner, or even a couple of hot dogs. Cheers from this Sparky, and hello from the Tracy Mountain Railway in Colorado. 💙 T.E.N.