Homeowners often get a romantic idea of themselves as weekend warriors: trips to the home improvement store, researching tutorials on YouTube, and rolling up their sleeves to make their dream home a reality. There’s nothing wrong with any of that – that is, until it comes to electricity. DIYers who venture into the electrical world as part of their home improvement projects rarely come away with a positive experience because DIY electrical work is a really bad idea. Here are a few reasons why:

It’s Dangerous

Number one with a bullet, performing electrical work on your own is downright dangerous. Shoddy work can result in accidental electrocution of yourself or others within your home, which could be fatal. Simply put, it’s not worth saving a little bit of money when you could continue to be alive come Monday morning. It’s as simple as that. 

It’s Ineffective

Unqualified electrical work, even when it doesn’t cause injury or damage, has a high probability of premature failure, shorting, or necessitate extensive repairs later on. Unless you have experience as a licensed electrician, performing electrical work within your own home is highly unadvisable.

It Can Cause Fires

Electrical fires are among some of the most devastating to homes and buildings and lead to billions of dollars in damages per year. According to a report by the National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association, the annual cost of damages, deaths, and injuries due to electrical fires totals $3.4 billion per year in the United States alone. Firefighting officials cite electrical fires as one of the leading causes of injuries to firefighters each year, suggesting that nearly 60 percent of all injuries to firefighters occur as a result of electrical fires.

It’s Not to Code

There’s a reason why electrical codes for buildings and structures exist and if your own DIY electrical work isn’t up to current standards, you may render your homeowner’s insurance invalid. So even if your “handiwork” holds up for a while, any damage that occurs in the future won’t be covered by your insurance. Saving a few bucks in the short term may become a ridiculously expensive fix down the road.

So remember – for anything larger than swapping out a light switch or outlet cover, it’s better to bring in a professional electrician to ensure your electrical project is safe and reliable for the long-term integrity of your home or office building. When your project calls for a professional touch, give the team at Luminaire a call.

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