You Can Be Liable for Unlicensed Electrical Work

07/30/15

Revamping your home's electrical work can be a big headache. You need to find a qualified electrician and write what could be a hefty check for work that might require opening holes in your walls and temporarily making a mess of your home. The last thing you want after a big electrical project is to have to tear it all out and redo the job all over again. That could be the scenario you face, however, if you cut corners and don't hire a licensed electrician to take on the task. Fly-by-night contractors might be cheaper at the outset, but they can cost you big time in the end if they don't follow the local building code, leaving you liable for the faults in your home wiring.

Fanning the Building Code Fires

Some contractors might complain about having to follow local code, but it's in place for a reason – it helps ensure that any work done on your home is performed safely and effectively. Local code standards are particularly important when it comes to electrical work, because faulty wiring and connections can lead to short circuits or even an electrical fire, putting your family at risk.

That's why technicians who do electrical work are required to maintain a license, secure permits and schedule inspections for many home projects. Unfortunately, there are electricians who are tempted to skip the code requirements in order to avoid the time and expense of compliance. They might quote you a lower price, but shoddy workmanship can leave you on the hook for a lot more money overall.

Limit Your Exposure to Liability

If your local government figures out that you are working on an electrical project, they can send an inspector to check it out. If the work isn't up to code, you'll have to remedy the problem before you pass inspection. And if your electrician isn't licensed, you have little recourse to correct the faulty electrical work besides paying out of pocket for someone else to redo the entire thing. Worse, if your electrical system does cause a fire that leads to injury or death, you could be civilly liable for huge sums.

Licensed electricians, on the other hand, have more incentive to follow the rules to begin with, since they could lose their certification if they don't. Furthermore, you may have an easier time recouping your investment in the event of unsafe or incomplete work if you can prove that you did your due diligence and hired a licensed electrician.

Good Work Done Right

To avoid code and permitting issues, hire only licensed technicians for your electrical work and ask them to show you all the relevant permits. Protect yourself and your home by holding out for competent contractors so you know the work is done right the first time.

Electricity is an important part of every household. At the same time, it is a very dangerous commodity to handle. You must observe safety every time you handle an electric device, electric cable or anything related to electricity. It is extremely important that you impart the same knowledge to your kids so that they learn how to be careful around electricity as it is all around them since they work on computers, encounter cords, appliances, power lines and outlets, etc. Here’s how you can start educating your kids on electrical safety.

By Clarissa Allison | December 11th, 2015

If you are lucky enough to have a large family room or “great room”, you may encounter some exciting challenges when choosing home decor and lighting that complements and balances your space. A great room is a large room typically found in modern homes that combines the features of a living room with those of a dining room or family room.

Large, open spaces are very common to find in floorplans these days. The dining room incorporates the kitchen, which is part of the living room and leads into the den, etc.  This trend sees walls to separate activity spaces removed. You’ll find that the kitchen is no longer segregated from the rest of the home but may easily become a main focal point. As you’ll see, the key to lighting these types of spaces is variety. You’ll want to utilize ambient, task, wall, and spot lighting to eliminate a “cave-like” atmosphere and maintain a feeling of spaciousness and height.

Read on for tips on how to set up the perfect lighting scheme for functionality, elegance and entertaining.

Update Your Kitchen Island As An Activity Space

Across the U.S. approximately 4,400 people are injured and an additional 400 die each year resulting from electrical hazards annually. Add in electrical fire, and you have what results in an estimated $1.6 billion in property damage each year. Could these accidents have been prevented? When it comes to electrical safety, what you don’t know can hurt you.

GFCI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter. A GFCI is required in any areas with an increased risk of shock due to electrical hazards, such as water. In order to protect you from electrical hazards, a GFCI monitors electrical current, turning off an electrical circuit when it detects an imbalance - current flowing along an unintended path. Think of a GFCI as a small, extra-sensitive circuit breaker built right into an outlet to protect you against electrocution – even in outlets that are not grounded. GFCIs are currently required for use in:

Note: Never use GFCI outlets with refrigerators, freezers, or other appliances, as they could trip without your knowledge.

AFCIs stand for arc-fault circuit interrupters, and they protect you from electrical dangers, but of a different variety – those that create heat via arcing. Examples include a rodent chewing on a wire, driving a nail through a wire, or a device overheating where it is plugged into the wall. AFCIs detect this arcing, shutting down outlets before damage can occur. They are not found in wall receptacles like GFCIs, but instead are easily incorporated into your home or business’ main service panel in the form of specialized circuit breakers. AFCIs are required in:

Though you may have an older home or business where building codes do not require these outlets, proper home safety does. Regular outlets and circuit breakers are designed to protect the house's electrical system, not people. With these devices being so easy and inexpensive to install, why wouldn’t you want to protect yourself and others from the unnecessary electrical hazards overlooking them presents?

As of 2014, the National Electric Code (NEC), the nation’s singular code for safe electrical installation, has added the following standards for the safety of your home or business:

All 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in a laundry room now require GFCI protection, whether or not a sink is present.

As dishwashers age, the risk of electrical shock increases, thus the latest requirement for GFCI protection on all dishwashers, whether they use a receptacle outlet or are hardwired in.

As of 2014, the NEC has recently added kitchen and laundry areas to the list of areas requiring AFCI protection. This includes all 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying not just outlets but also devices found in these rooms.

Shocked by how inadequately prepared for electrical hazards your home or business is? Don’t get burned by ignoring the need for these inexpensive, potentially life-saving devices. Contact Mr. Electric® today.