Save Time & Money Doing Your Own Basic Electric Wiring

Hiring a professional electrician can be very expensive and is often the reason why people try doing their own basic electric wiring themselves.

I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly results of these efforts and I have come to the conclusion that basic electrical wiring is not something anyone should do without proper guidance, tools and confidence.

It is so important that before attempting any of these basic electrical wiring projects that people are aware of how dangerous electricity is and how important safety is for you and for your family and family home.

90 percent of the time I recommend hiring a licensed electrician over doing your basic electrical wiring yourself. Not doing this will usually end up costing even more money than before and increase the risk of bringing your family into danger without even knowing your doing it.

But doing your own basic electric wiring really isnt that hard to do if you educate yourself on the topic.

Licensed electricians had to learn the stuff themselves too. So as a do it yourself person this isnt different. There is no escape possible.

You will see that the more you read about it the easier it will become and the more confidence you will get.

Just to give you an idea, here are 3 questions I recently got from people just like you who tried doing their own electric wiring:

Question 1: I installed a grounding probe in your aquarium and every time anyone in the house turns on or off the lights, the fish jump. What's going on?

A couple of suggestions:

1. (easiest) Pull out that grounding probe and return it from whence you purchased it.

2. Check the wiring on your outlet. You may actually have 'Neutral' instead of 'Ground'.

3. Check the wiring throughout the rest of the house. There are some people out there that insist on doing their own home repairs, yet don't understand basic electrical wiring.

Outlets are easy to check by getting a $7.95 outlet tester from the hardware store. Wired-in appliances, lights, heaters, etc. are tougher.

4. Check all your electrical fixtures to make sure they aren't leaking some voltage to Ground.

Question 2: What is the NEC? Where can I get a copy?

The NEC is a model electrical code devised and published by the National Fire Protection Association, an insurance industry group. It's revised every three years.

The 1993 version has been released. You can buy a copy at a decent bookstore, or by calling them directly at 800-344-3555.

The code exists in several versions. There's the full text, which is fairly incomprehensible. There's an abridged edition, which has only the sections likely to apply to most houses.

And there's the NEC Handbook, which contains the ``authorized commentary'' on the code, as well as the full text. That's the recommended version. Unfortunately, there's no handbook for the abridged edition. And the full handbook is expensive -- US$65 plus shipping and handling.

Question 3: Can I do my own wiring? Extra pointers?

In most places, homeowners are allowed to do their own wiring. In some, they're not. Check with your local electrical inspector. Most places won't permit you to do wiring on other's homes for money without a license. Nor are you permitted to do wiring in "commercial" buildings.

Multiple dwellings (eg: duplexes)are usually considered "semi-commercial" or "commercial". However, many jurisdictions will permit you to work on semi-commercial wiring if you're supervised by a licensed electrician - if you can find one willing to supervise.

If you do your own wiring, an important point:

Do it NEAT and WELL! What you really want to aim for is a better job than an electrician will do. After all, it's your own home, and it's you or your family that might get killed if you make a mistake.

An electrician has time pressures, has the skills and knows the tricks of the trade to do a fast, safe job. In this FAQ we've consciously given a few recommendations that are in excess of code, because we feel that it's reasonable, and will impress the inspector.

The inspector will know that you're an amateur. You have to earn his trust. The best way of doing this is to spend your time doing as neat a job as possible. Don't cut corners. Exceed specifications. Otherwise, the inspector may get extremely picky and fault you on the slightest transgressions.

Don't try to hide anything from the inspector.

Use the proper tools. Ie: don't use a bread knife to strip wires, or twist wires with your fingers. The inspector won't like it, and the results won't be that safe. And it takes longer. And you're more likely to stick a hunk of 12ga wire through your hand that way.

Don't handle house wire when it's very cold (eg: below -10C or 16F). Thermoplastic house wire, particularly older types become very brittle.

As you can see, getting the right answers to your questions can make the work a lot easier.

You save time by doing it the right way from the first time and you save money because you wont need to hire an electrician to either do the entire job or to fix your screw-ups.

In any case, no matter what you, be very careful when working on electricity! If needed cut down the entire power of your house just to be sure.

Keep It Safe,
Nico De Baere is a licensed electrician with over 10 years of experience with home and industrial electric wiring. He is the author of the ebook Basic Electric Wiring which gives answers to 77 of the most ask questions on basic electric wiring. Visit his site now at http://www.basicelectricwiring.com
 

Electrician Schools and Career for Serious Electricians

If being an electrician is of interest to you, then learning how to choose an electrician school is extremely important. But first, what does it entail to be an electrician?

Electricity is an essential part in the day to day running of most things that we use. An electrician is called upon to help repair, install, connect, test and also to maintain electrical systems. As an electrician, you can expect to work in and out of all different types of locations and even building sites. Most jobs carry some form of hazard, and for electricians the risks involved can be particularly dangerous including electric shocks, falls, and also cuts. Due to some of these risks, it is important that the electrician attends an electrician school and undergoes the proper electrician trade school training program.

Most people start as an apprentice electrician which is a mixture of work based and class room learning at an electrician trade school. To start an apprenticeship, candidates should have a good high school education and be at least 18 years old. Other people may choose to train before seeking a job as an electrician or even attending an electrician school.

What skills do you need then? To become a good electrician you need to have good hand-eye coordination, have good physical fitness, and also be well balanced. Also, the person needs to be able to solve problems and have a good sense of color. Needless to say, the skills developed at the electrician trade school training program would be a must.

The career prospect of an electrician is pretty positive. The need for electricians has grown considerably meaning that the workload has spread all across the country. It is also thought that it will increase even further in the future with the ever increasing demand of electrical appliances and other electrics. Finally, as the technology increases, more electricians will be needed to install and fix electrical equipment.

Electricians who work on construction sites may be subject to less work depending upon the economy at the time. If less houses and buildings are being produced, there will be less use for an electrician.

If you are still wondering if the role of an electrician is for you, then maybe the pay will sway things for you. An electrician is very well paid when they have been fully trained and qualified and you should find it to be a fairly lucrative career! A trained electrician usually roughly gets paid around $46,000 per annum but it all depends upon the company you work for and if you are self employed. A trainee electrician will get around $25,000 per annum again depending upon the company you work for.

In conclusion, if being an electrician is of interest to you, invest some time to find the right electrician school for you and begin your training soon!

Go here for the right Electrician Trade School Training Program for you and everything about being an electrician at Top Electrician.

Electrical Engineering Careers

If you are interested in becoming an electrical engineer, there are many electrical engineering careers that are excellent career choices. While becoming an electrical engineer can take a bit of schooling, studying, and hard work, the variety of electrical engineering careers that are available often make it worth the years of working towards the goal. If you are considering getting an electrical engineering degree, you may want to take a look at the electrical engineering careers that are available once you complete your training.

Digital Technology

One of the many electrical engineering careers includes working with digital technology. This career allows electrical engineers to work with digital technology and to develop ways to make digital technology small enough to be easy to use. Workers in this career may be able to work with cell phone companies to make the required technology small enough to fit into the smallest cell phone or they may design technology to make cell phones more efficient. This can be an exciting career for an electrical engineer and can be quite lucrative as well.

Power Engineering

Another of the many electrical engineering careers is power engineering. This type of a career deals with working with power and electricity and transmitting, generating, and distributing this power effectively. This career requires working with generators, motors, transformers, and even power electronics. While this can be a dangerous job at times, it can be very exciting and rewarding for an electrical engineer.

Computer Engineering

Electrical engineering careers also include computer engineering, as well. While electrical engineers do not actually design the software for computers, they often design the hardware and electrical technology that makes them run effectively. If you enjoy working with computers and want an electrical engineering degree, this is one of the electrical engineering careers that you may enjoy.

Control Engineering

Another of the electrical engineering careers that are available for those with an electrical engineering degree is control engineering. This career involves working with controllers to make entire systems work in a particular manner. Electrical circuits, PLCs, micro controllers, and digital signal processors are often used for this job. Many people in this specific field actually end up working for NASA and working with the systems and controls for space shuttles. This can be one of the most exciting electrical engineering careers that are available for electrical engineers.

Electronic Engineering

Electrical engineering careers are also available in electronic engineering for those who are electronic engineers. In this career field, electronic engineers not only design electronic circuits, but they also test them, as well. Those who choose electrical engineering careers in this field work with radios, computers, and modern television systems on a regular basis. This can be a very rewarding and interesting career to pursue.

These are just a few of the electrical engineering careers that are available once you get a degree in electrical engineering. There are always career options for electrical engineers, so getting a degree in this field guarantees you a job in a field related to your interests.

To learn more about this challenging career and get into more details about life as an electrical engineer, visit electrical engineering careers.