THE IMPORTANCE OF HIRING A GOOD ELECTRICIAN

You can try to do things yourself around the house, but fooling around with electricity isn’t advisable – unless you are an electrician yourself. You can electrocute yourself quite easily, and if you don’t, your faulty way of putting those wires together may precipitate the burning down of your house.

Where electrical problems are concerned, it is best to hire an electrician – a good one. He will not only save your property from ruin, he will eventually help you save money in the long run. Here are some very obvious reasons why you should hire a good electrician:

He is educated and fully trained. Good electricians don’t learn about the ropes from their handyman-fathers – they need to be properly trained and educated about how to do things the professional way. Electricians need to meet education and training requirements to be able to practice. This includes classroom instruction, and some paid on-the-job training. Graduates of these training programs must pass electrical theory, mathematics, electrical code, blueprint reading, soldering, fire alarm systems and safety practices.

He has proper experience. Learning all the theories is important, but doing hands-on work is essential to hone an electrician’s skills. There are fields of specialization in this career, but most experienced electricians are adept in performing a variety of duties. They must gain experience in installing a variety of systems and machines, and be able to work on different buildings and structures. They are skilled in both installation and repair.

He has the proper qualities needed. It would be difficult to hire an electrician who is not detail-oriented & analytical, as his job entails enormous amounts of patience and problem-solving. Other qualities he needs math & engineering aptitude, customer skills, manual dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and sense of balance.

He is certified and licensed. Most local governments require that electricians pass a series of written exam and proof of experience before they are certified and licensed. If your electrician is certified, you know that he is going to do a good job, and will not recommend all sorts of unnecessary remedies or solutions that prove to be not only useless, but expensive as well.

He is insured. A true-blue certified electrician is aware of the risks involved in the carrying out of his duties, which is why he has personal risk insurance.

He has references. The best way to tell if an electrician is good is by asking your friends and associates who they can recommend. A referral is a spoken testimonial to the ability of any person. It is important because you know you can trust this person even if you have some valuables lying around the house while he’s working.   

ELECTRICAL SAVING TIPS BEFORE GOING ON VACATION

As we get closer to the holiday period it is important to plan your house before going on a vacation. More accidents occur when the family is away then it does when the family is home. Preparing your home doesn’t take much time, just some thought. Then you might as well take the following things in mind before leaving your home:

Shut off the air conditioning. Unless you want all the ants in your house living in comfort while you’re away, do your electric bill a favor by turning off the air con. There is no sense in leaving it on, unless you have a house-full of potentially overheating computers that need to be left on in your absence.

Turn off the circuit breaker on the water heaters. Even if you are not around, and don’t use your hot shower, a water heater will still make sure that the warm temperature of water is maintained, whether the showers and jacussis are used or not.

If you are going to be away for a long period of time, unplug the refrigerator and freezer. This will prevent the appliances from sudden power surges, in case a storm hits your home while you are away. However, before you turn it off, empty and clean the ref of any products which may rot or potentially form molds. These products would include meats, dairy and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Turn off all unnecessary lights, except for those which are used for security purposes. Install a timer so that the security lights go on at a specific time. Remember, having lights on 24/7 (even during broad daylight) is a dead giveaway that the house is currently empty. Unless you want all the village thieves preying on your belongings, ensure that the lights are on only during the sensible hours – like nighttime.

Turn off or unplug all small appliances. It makes absolutely no sense to leave plugged computers, microwave ovens, stoves, televisions and other unused appliances on or plugged. Some of these have an electronic light indicating that they are ready for use. Those standby lights still consume electricity. Some people leave their televisions on, hoping to fool potential thieves into thinking that there is someone in the house. Remember that robbers are aware of this tactic – so it won’t deter them anymore.

Remember that every little thing can save you big bucks. Carelessness can also lead to avoidable house fires, so it always pays to take heed.

ELECTRICAL TIPS FOR THE SUMMER

The incidence of fire is greater when the weather is at its hottest, so avoid accidents by following a few tips:

This Christmas Season, don’t plug in too many lights into one single outlet. This will cause your system to overload and explode. Purchase outdoor lights for outdoor use, and purchase low-consuming series lights for indoor use. Also use the best Christmas lights to decorate your tree. 

Remember that the tree is highly-combustible. Therefore, one light exploding might cause your entire house to burn down. Especially in the hot summer weather, a small fire spreads much faster, so be mindful – and keep that fire extinguisher ready at all times.

Always use surge protectors. Some house fires start because electricity sometimes fluctuates (especially during summer). Surge protectors guard the appliances plugged into it from sudden surges of electricity, thus protecting your electronic equipment from exploding.

Although it is summertime, the incidence of rain is high. Protect your house and electronic devices by installing lightning rods. Some of the power surges are caused by lightning strikes, and must therefore be prevented by installing the proper protection devices.

When the summer rainstorms cause a flood, even before the water level rises, turn off the main switch. I cannot stress this well enough, but water reaching your live sockets will cause the rising flood water to electrocute anybody who steps into the water. When evacuating to higher ground, never go barefoot, because the incidence of electrocution is greater when one does not have any rubber-soled footwear on. Also try to avoid metal objects from coming in close contact with sockets that have been immersed in water. Always call your electrician before plugging anything back into a socket that has been submerged in water. Flood and electricity is a deadly combination!

Especially during the hot summer weather, never touch any electronics with bare wet hands (and feet). Wear rubber slippers and gloves if you want to avoid electrocution. Never ever forget to dry your hands before plugging or unplugging anything – no matter how small it may seem to be.

Enjoy the summer, but be careful also. A few flames can explode into a huge uncontrollable fire if you are not careful. Hot weather makes the air humid. Summer may be nice when you’re enjoying your fun outdoor activities, but it also poses some dangers.