Tips If You’re Going To Be An Electrician At Home

Probably one of the most risky occupations is that of an electrician. He is not only exposed to electrocution and severe burns, his job also entails extreme physical challenges and possible fractures and severe allergies – since he is required to climb high altitudes, and wiggle his way through the narrowest of holes and ceilings.

Here are some tips if you are choosing to do some electrician work for yourself at home:

Warm up/exercise for the workday ahead. Much like a runner, prepare your body by walking, marching in place or moving your arms in circles. Stretch slowly and hold it for 3-5 seconds. Stretch the lower back and hips, stretch each leg, and stretch your arms. These stretching exercises lower your risk of overextending muscles, and hurting yourself while working on those ceiling wires and lights. As an electrician, you would also need to most often work on your knees, or squat. Keep your body fit (and your waistline trim) for all this bending and stooping. 

Remember to consult with your doctor before embarking on any exercise routine.

You know you have a problem if you have any of the following symptoms, so don’t postpone your doctor’s appointment, and have them checked out as soon as possible:

·         Constant fatigue

·         Cold hands

·         Swelling

·         Numbness

·         Tingling

·         Lack of energy

·         Changes in skin colour

·         Weakness

·         Loss of sensation

·         Aching, burning or shooting pain

Use power tools as much as possible. Repetitious hand work may cause pain and result in permanent injury – thus limiting your ability to use your hands in any kind of work. Straining your hands too much may cause your hands to lose stability – making them jittery and shaky – which is a major disadvantage for such a profession that requires precision, accuracy and control. The solution is to use hand or power tools whenever possible. While working, keep these electric tools close to your body to reduce fatigue and increase productivity. You can also do much more work with these power tools.

When lifting, use the three-point-lift. Never try to lift or carry very heavy load on your own – ask for help. When lifting, use the three-point-lift  Never bend or stoop, then attempt to lift heavy equipment the way those 300-pound competitive weightlifters do. You will surely injure your back doing so. Use teamwork or mechanical aids whenever possible.

When pulling, use a tugger or pulley. Avoid manual wire pulling – use a tugger or a hand tool whenever possible. You may break your skin, dislocate bones or damage nerves when you subject your hands to pressure that is meant for machines – not hands. Also, always, always, always wear workman’s gloves, with the exterior preferably rubber-lined in order to avoid electrocution.

Always use rubber-soled shoes. Never attempt to touch any wires barefoot – unless you want to end up barbequed (lol). Electrocution is considerably lessened when a worker wears rubber-soled shoes and rubber-lined gloves.

Anti-itch remedy. The insulation you find in ceilings and attics are most often itchy and may cause skin allergies. The solution – take a bottle of baby powder or corn starch and apply it to your hands, arms, neck and face. The powder protects your skin from the insulation and prevents irritation and itching. If the attic is too dusty, remember to wear a protective mask, as you might end up with a bad cough, asthma, or inhale some of the dust from rodent droppings usually present in dark crevices.

Avoid Heat Illness. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by heat, especially if you are working in tight areas like attics, ceilings, basements and under the house. Start work early in the morning when it is considerably cooler. Wear light-colored and loose-fitting clothing. If you need to work where there is direct sunlight, take frequent breaks in the shade. Lastly, drink plenty of water before, during and after work. In fact, you should also drink even if you are not thirsty

SAVE ELECTRICITY DURING THE HOLIDAYS

It’s the season of abundance, and while everyone is busy trying to make their homes look nice for the holidays, they lose sight of the amount of power they use to make their surroundings prettier. You can employ several techniques to help avoid having a heart attack when you get your next electricity bill. Remember that the less amount of power used, the greater your contribution into greening up the planet.

Use LED lights. LED Lights are much safer than regular lights. They do not heat up – which is great especially if you’re going to twirl them around your real Christmas tree. LEDs use up 90% less electricity, and can last up to 100,000 hours. Imagine using the same lights for 500 years? The average usage per household each year is 200 hours, thus – you, as well as your children can  save Earth for the next 500 years.

Use Fiber Optic Decorations. Fiber optic decorations are thin plastic-like wires where light can pass through. They are great for decorations, as it most probably only requires one small source of light, strategically positioned at the base. Since light passes through the wires, the effect is one fascinating display of light that can be altered in various shapes, are these wires are thin, pliable and bouncy. Use them a centerpieces to save on electricity.

Limit the time the lights are kept on. Of course, you must wait for it to grow dark before you turn on your Christmas lights, and you also must turn them off maybe at midnight – or before you go to bed. NEVER leave the lights unattended as your house might end up like one huge fireplace.

When the Christmas tree is lit, turn off the room lights. Those Christmas tree lights always look better when the surrounding area is dark – so kill the lights and stare at your beautiful tree.

Why not use candles? Try to stand out from the rest of the neighborhood by lighting small candles alongside your walkway – the effect is some traditional vintage Christmastime in the countryside. Nice, actually.

Buy gifts that are not battery nor electrically-run. Save the environment by lessening the amount of garbage/batteries you dump into the garbage. Imagine also the amount of money you save by not buying battery-run toys? Opt for energy-free toys and gifts.

If you can’t avoid batteries, then buy rechargeable batteries. If you need to save money, then use rechargeable batteries for your gifts. At least, you can use the batteries over and over, and end up wasting less money. When you do recharge the batteries, unplug the charger as soon as the batteries are fully charged.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

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.  

TIPS TO AVOID ELECTRICAL FIRES

Electricity is probably the greatest discovery to date. Can you imagine if we still had to use fire to light up our homes and charcoal for cooking? The earth’s forests would most probably be barren because wood will be used all the time for each and every basic function.

Our appliances and electronic gadgets will be useless if there is no electricity to make them work!

But although electricity is extremely helpful and vital to life, it can also be the source of several accidents. So to prevent any mishaps from taking place, remember the following electrical tips:

Always unplug appliances when not in use. Aside from saving on electricity, unplugging unused appliances prevents short-circuits resulting from sudden fluctuations in electrical voltage. Most especially true when electricity is turned back on after a power outage, sudden surge of electricity directly into your plugged appliances might cause them to short-circuit or malfunction, thus resulting to fire.

Try to keep electrical appliances away from fluids/liquids. Keeping a plugged electric hair curler near your bottles of flammable nail polish is a sure way to set your dresser on fire. Flammable liquids, like alcohol, hair spray, nail polish remover and other oil-based cosmetics or food (like cooking oil) quickly burst into flame when exposed to  really hot objects, like a lamp bulb, stove, oven, grill, or even a hot television or laptop. Keep plugged hair dryers and curlers as far away as possible from a bathtub or sink – unless you want to be “fried” while taking a bubble bath.

If you detect a “burning smell” emanating from electrical outlets, have an electrician check on them, before plugging any appliance into the outlet.

In cases where electrical outlets or appliances have been exposed to rain or flooding, always ask an electrician to inspect and dry the affected outlet or appliance. Wires imbedded in walls change color (they usually turn darker) after prolonged exposure to water. Remember, wires are made of metal, and metal either corrodes or become very brittle and unsound.

Avoid using octopus plugs (an adaptor that is plugged into an outlet where you can plug in 2 or more electrical plugs). There is a huge chance that the outlet will overload. If  you have limited wall outlets, use an extension wire with a voltage regulator. Make sure that the total number of wattage from all of the appliances plugged into the extension cord is equal or under the indicated maximum wattage the extension cord can accommodate (check the packaging - it should be clearly indicated).

Use extension cords manufactured by reputable companies. Most of the time, it pays to pay extra for items which are made of high-quality materials.

Make sure that no flammable cloth or material (like curtains and varnished furniture) cover electrical outlets where appliances are plugged in. An outlet must always be free “to breath,” and must never be covered by anything that may cause it to overheat.

Unplug the refrigerator when lights are flickering. This is an indication that there are power surges (especially during storms), thus causing your ref to have a short circuit.

Like they say, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. It always pays to be careful. Don’t wait for mishaps to happen before you take heed.

TIPS TO AVOID ELECTRICAL FIRES

Electricity is probably the greatest discovery to date. Can you imagine if we still had to use fire to light up our homes and charcoal for cooking? The earth’s forests would most probably be barren because wood will be used all the time for each and every basic function.

Our appliances and electronic gadgets will be useless if there is no electricity to make them work!

But although electricity is extremely helpful and vital to life, it can also be the source of several accidents. So to prevent any mishaps from taking place, remember the following electrical tips:

Always unplug appliances when not in use. Aside from saving on electricity, unplugging unused appliances prevents short-circuits resulting from sudden fluctuations in electrical voltage. Most especially true when electricity is turned back on after a power outage, sudden surge of electricity directly into your plugged appliances might cause them to short-circuit or malfunction, thus resulting to fire.

Try to keep electrical appliances away from fluids/liquids. Keeping a plugged electric hair curler near your bottles of flammable nail polish is a sure way to set your dresser on fire. Flammable liquids, like alcohol, hair spray, nail polish remover and other oil-based cosmetics or food (like cooking oil) quickly burst into flame when exposed to  really hot objects, like a lamp bulb, stove, oven, grill, or even a hot television or laptop. Keep plugged hair dryers and curlers as far away as possible from a bathtub or sink – unless you want to be “fried” while taking a bubble bath.

If you detect a “burning smell” emanating from electrical outlets, have an electrician check on them, before plugging any appliance into the outlet.

In cases where electrical outlets or appliances have been exposed to rain or flooding, always ask an electrician to inspect and dry the affected outlet or appliance. Wires imbedded in walls change color (they usually turn darker) after prolonged exposure to water. Remember, wires are made of metal, and metal either corrodes or become very brittle and unsound.

Avoid using octopus plugs (an adaptor that is plugged into an outlet where you can plug in 2 or more electrical plugs). There is a huge chance that the outlet will overload. If  you have limited wall outlets, use an extension wire with a voltage regulator. Make sure that the total number of wattage from all of the appliances plugged into the extension cord is equal or under the indicated maximum wattage the extension cord can accommodate (check the packaging - it should be clearly indicated).

Use extension cords manufactured by reputable companies. Most of the time, it pays to pay extra for items which are made of high-quality materials.

Make sure that no flammable cloth or material (like curtains and varnished furniture) cover electrical outlets where appliances are plugged in. An outlet must always be free “to breath,” and must never be covered by anything that may cause it to overheat.

Unplug the refrigerator when lights are flickering. This is an indication that there are power surges (especially during storms), thus causing your ref to have a short circuit.

Like they say, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. It always pays to be careful. Don’t wait for mishaps to happen before you take heed.