6 Things Your Electrician Wants You to Know

Whether you're starting small with a new fan or fixture or looking to do a complete addition to your home, there a few important facts your electrician wishes you knew.

1. Understand GFCI
Bathroom circuit failures are among the most common service calls electricians get. By code, GFCI receptacles are required in bathrooms, garages, crawl spaces, basements, laundry rooms and areas where a water source is present. These cut off power if a circuit loses amperage. A single GFCI device protects everything else “downstream” on that circuit, because bathrooms are often not on an isolated circuit, a triggered GFCI will kill the power to outlets and lights that may seem unrelated. Often times, things can be even more confusing when the GFCI is installed at the electrical breaker box itself. This service call is especially common for outdoor circuits and in homes where multiple bathrooms are on a single circuit.

2. Never Ignore Warning Signs
Here’s the most important thing any electrician will tell you: Don't ever ignore the warning signs of problems in your electrical system. Whether it’s a popping noise from an outlet, a light switch that runs extremely hot, or a breaker that won’t reset, it’s important that you take every issue seriously. Luckily, most electrical issues can be resolved relatively quickly as long as they’re not allowed to fester.

3. Know Your Limits on DYI
The DIY mindset is wonderful thing. It's awesome to learn things about your home and grow your skills. But it’s just as important to know the boundaries and limitations of your skills.

If you are new to DYI electrical, only work on electrical components outside of the wall. As you develop your skills as an amateur electrician, you can do more advanced work. The problem arises when DIY enthusiasts with more enthusiasm than experience tackle an electrical project, then bury their less-than-perfect work behind a layer of drywall. Skip the big stuff for now.

4. Vampires Are Totally Real
An energy vampire is a device that continues to use energy and drain power, even when it is turned off. They lurk in your home, taking the form of phone chargers and cable boxes, computer cords and coffee pots. So while they aren't sucking your blood, these phantom energy suckers can account for as much as 20% of your monthly electricity bill. When an electrician gets a call about a high electric bill, these "suckers" are usually the first thing to be looked at.

5. Do Not Tape or Hold Down a Circuit Breaker

If you hold a breaker down with tape, the dangerous conditions will only continue, and you’ll be setting yourself up for a major issue in the future. Forcing a breaker to maintain contact is a disaster waiting to happen and should be avoided at all costs. Circuit breakers work, because they break the circuit! When a breaker keeps popping, you need to find and fix the problem.

6. White Isn’t Always Neutral, and Black Isn’t Always Live
We are aware that these are contradict best practices, but your electrician understands a home’s electrical system is large and complicated. Who knows how people may have worked on it, many of whom were not properly trained or following code. So when you open up an electrical outlet, you may find a confusing bird’s nest of wires, electrical tape and wire nuts.

That doesn’t mean you can’t work on it, but it does mean that you need to be careful and not make assumptions. Always use a non-contact voltage tester to verify that a line is dead before moving forward.

As always, if you are ever unsure about something electrical, connect with an Allstar Electrician.