Electrical wiring Milton ON

If you’re a handy person, you might think of taking on electrical wiring projects around the home. Unbeknownst to you, you may be making common mistakes that can cause safety and working issues. Take a look at a few of them:

Forgetting to install a junction box: junction boxes can save you future headaches and damage to your wires. They gather together connected wires to eliminate the risk of accidental damage, heat and sparks that may occur when there’s a short circuit or loose connection. If you fail to use a junction box, you may have to dismantle and fix the wires, which is a PITA (pain in the you-know-what).

Cutting wires the wrong length: Wires that are cut too short will result in poor connection from the electrical circuit. Wires should stick out at least 3 inches from the electrical box. This is to improve its accessibility.

Loose switches and outlets: These look terrible, not to mention a fire hazard. Loose connections can move, causing wires to loosen from terminals. After a period of time, the wires can arc and overheat, potentially leading to a fire.

Reversing hot and neutral wires: We’re all human and we make mistakes, but if you’re not a certified electrician, you’re more likely to make these errors, some which may be fatal. If you accidentally connect a hot wire to a neutral terminal in an outlet, you can experience a potentially deadly shock. Another inherent danger is that there are no signs that an error has been made until the electric shock occurs as the electrical system may work as normal. And that's one of the most dangerous things - when something threatening is not readily apparent.

The examples mentioned above are just a small sampling of DIY wiring mistakes, some too dangerous to risk making. There is huge range of errors that can be made along the way. If you haven't been trained as an electrician, do not attempt these tasks yourself. It's not worth the risk. It's such an important point, we'll need to repeat it: don’t take the chance and try to do it yourself. You’ll need to call a licensed electrician to perform the electrical wiring in a proper and safe manner. This also goes for other types of wiring tasks, whether you’re looking for help with hot tub installation, appliance installation, ceiling fan installation, phone or internet cable wiring, or smart home installation, standby generator wiring among many others. In fact, the vast majority of these installs require a professional who has done this for many years, not someone who's referred to instructional YouTube videos or other similar resources.

Another common issue is that many homes in Milton were built between the 1900s to 1940s, meaning that there may be knob and tube wiring. This poses a fire hazard because the wire’s sheathing is not approved for contact with today’s home insulation. Most insurance companies won’t even insure a home that still has this old type of wiring. So if you’re in the market for buying an old home built in the beginning of the 20th century, be sure to look into knob and tube wiring replacement. If you’re looking into buying a home built in the 1960s to 1970s, there’s a chance you may be buying a house with aluminum wiring. An aluminum wiring house may also create a potential fire hazard because aluminum becomes defective quicker than copper. Ignored and poor connections in outlets, light fixtures and switches cause the aluminum wiring to overheat, which may lead to a fire. Insurance companies are also leery of insuring this type of home. So be sure to call us to handle your complete home wiring.