Why you should only use a Qualified Electrician

Electricity is potentially dangerous. It can kill…..either directly through electric shock or indirectly through fires that can be caused by electrical faults. These fires also result in the loss of property.

Electricity demands respect.

Electricity has become a part of our everyday lives, we take it for granted. We also tend to take electrical safety for granted too, because thankfully most of us are fortunate enough to never experience the potential negative side of electricity.

Fortunately electricity has been around for quite a while now, long enough for clever people to be aware of what is required in order to make electricity usage safe in our homes, but this knowledge needs to be learned and passed on to others in order to ensure that electrical installations remain safe.

To become a Qualified Registered Electrician in South Africa takes years of both theory and practical training.

There are literally hundreds of different safety rules and regulations that need to be learned, there is so much more to becoming a Qualified Electrician than just simply knowing how to use a screw driver and connect wires together. Untrained DIY’ers will be unaware of most of these safety regulations.

Electrical rules and regulations also change from time to time and Electricians need to keep up to date with these changes.

While you might be lucky and get away with DIY electrical work in the short term you will one day want to sell your home and then you are going to require an Electrical Compliance Certificate. This will require that your electrical installation be inspected by a Qualified Registered Electrician and much of that DIY wiring may have to be rectified possibly at greater expense than it would have cost to do it properly in the first place.

Not to mention the fact that you may have lived with a potentially hazardous electrical installation for all that time.

When it comes to Electrical work there is one simple rule, when in doubt, call a Qualified Electrician.

Never let an unqualified person work on your electrical installation.

…here is a few reasons why –

#1: It is also the case that particular types of installation work require an electrician to carry them out and/or particular types of installation work that have to be certified when they are completed.

Using a professional electrician also provides the advantage that particular types of work that need to be approved by a local authority can quickly and comprehensively be assessed by the electrician who will then appropriately notify the relevant body and certify the work once it has been done. If a professional electrician is not used, precious time can be wasted as the necessary processes are followed and bureaucracy is negotiated.

#2: Professional, qualified and certified electricians have the knowledge and expertise to provide electrical services to a high standard – the standard you would and should expect. But, more than this, professional electricians know how to work safely.

People should never assume that switching off the power supply, taking out the pertinent fuses and/or testing that the supply is actually switched off is enough. Electricians have knowledge of how to completely and securely create a safe situation for working with electricity. Furthermore, electricians have the skills and knowledge that enable safe working practices with a range of tools and electrical components.

#3: Although those who are into ‘DIY’ (Do It Yourself) home maintenance may believe that they know all of the details needed to effectively and safely carry out an electrical job, professional electricians have far more extensive knowledge and understanding that includes:

• Regulations (and how current they are)
• Industry changes (this could include: colour changes of cables cores, required types of circuit breakers)
• The need to advise and possibly seek the approval of local authorities
• The optimal locations and techniques for fitting cables
• The size and thickness of the cables that should be used
• For circuit breakers, the rating that should be used
• What circuits do and which circuits don’t require Earth Leakage Protection.
• Electricians have the proper test equipment to check for proper earthing and insulation.
• Only a properly qualified and registered electrician can issue an Electrical Compliance Certificate.

Be Safe, Be Sure, use a Qualified Electrician.

For something as important as the electrical work and wiring of your home or business, it would be incredibly foolish to leave this to an amateur or anyone unqualified. All electrical services should be carried out by a qualified and skilled electrician in order to best guarantee safety and efficiency.