HOW TO FIND A PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICIAN

With the rising cost of building one’s own house, one can never afford to risk letting their investment go up in flames. This means that homeowners should always check on their house’ electrical connections – ensuring that everything is always in excellent condition.  

Where matters of electricity is concerned, one can never be too stingy, so never try to do-it-yourself! If you plug in the wrong wire into the wrong socket, you just may find yourself in the hospital – with your eyebrows, fingers and toes singed – and your heart re-jolted just to get it pumping again.

This is when hiring a good and professional electrician becomes necessary. So how do you get one? Where should you look? Who shall you ask?

The internet. A professional electrician will most probably have his own website (especially if he has a business), or at least have his own Facebook page. Try entering the keywords “electrician” followed by your general area of residence, and presto, a search page will appear, and you can take your pick. Tip though – be sure to specify what type of electrical assistance you need (electronics, building, computer, general household), as electricians should have a field of expertise. Beware of the “all-around electrician” – especially if you are having major repairs made. A master of none would mean that this person “knows a little of everything,” thus giving you acceptable but not excellent solutions.

The yellow pages. A Community Business Directory can also give you a host of options, with the added benefit of a narrowed-down list of choices in your area. Especially helpful when already devoid of electricity (due to a tripped electrical connection), a non-internet-based list of good professional electricians will come in handy. Call the numbers listed, all of them if you are patient enough, and ask them is your concern is something they specialize in.

Referrals. Probably the best source of good electricians, a trusted neighbor or office co-worker’s referral is almost like a stamp of approval – you “almost” have verbal proof of their excellent past work. Of course unless you asked your arch- enemy, no acquaintance will refer a bad electrician to you unless they themselves have tried availing of his past services. Now that  you have the advantage of speaking with a past customer, you may also get a general idea about another thing to consider when hiring a professional electrician, which is costing. Ask if rates are reasonable. Ask also about quality of work and guarantee on a completed job. Inquire about materials used – if they are high-grade and reliable, or just cheap alternatives.

Ask building/home contractors – they would have an awesome list. One of the best people to ask are your contractor-friends. Who else would know about the best quality of work other than the ones who hire them most often? Again, ask for the ones who are in your area – as they are easier to contact in case another emergency takes place.

Now there are the ones to avoid:

Electricians who go door-to-door. Funny? Not so much. Now what would prod any professional electrician to desperately seek work by going door to door? Poor work; no referrals; ineffectiveness; a bad record. Beware of the last one (bad record) the most, though. Remember that you would need to invite an electrician into your home. Make sure he is trustworthy, and not the type who would pocket precious stuff lying comfortably around the house, like small gadgets, money, jewelry and even your silverware. Don’t laugh, because this is a reality. An electrician will have access into your home – assign someone to be with him at all times. Another tip – beware of the electrician who uses his obscure celphone camera to take pictures of your home. These are proven ways scrupulous individuals can case your home. Be vigilant!

Those who hand out flyers at the street corner. Although flyering is one inexpensive way to market a business offline, there’s also no way you can check the credentials of the electrician you are hiring. You may hire someone who does not charge much, but may very well end up wasting money, because of the numerous times the cheap labor had to be repaired… or because the materials used were low quality.

In hiring a professional electrician, ask for the following always:

•      Certification / electrician’s license
•          Insurance
•          Warranty on service
•          Experience
•          Education
•          References

These things separate the professional electrician from the average all-around neighbourhood handyman.