Repairs That A Do-It-Yourselfer Should Not Attempt
If you are a bonafide do-it-yourselfer, you may be tempted to complete the electrical repairs of your home on your own. However, many repairs that involve an electrical current are best left to a professional. Here are a few repairs that should never be attempted on your own.
Fixing or Replacing the Screw Terminals of Your Breaker Box
Your screw terminals are the lugs that keep the service cables in your breaker box in place. The lugs have electricity actively flowing through them, even when all of your main breakers are in the off position. To stay safe, the only change you should make to your breaker box is resetting a breaker that has inadvertently tripped.
Completing the Repair of a Large Appliance
Fixing an appliance, such as an air conditioner, may seem like a straightforward repair -- especially if the unit is unplugged. After all, the electrical flow has stopped. However, an electrician knows that a current can still flow through the appliance because of the capacitor.
A capacitor is a little component inside the appliance that stores electrical current to make it easier for the appliance to start. Even if the unit is not plugged up, electricity can remain inside the capacitor until it is discharged. Unfortunately, the brief contact of a piece of metal, such as a tool being used for a repair, with the capacitor will cause a discharge and possibly a serious injury.
Working on Wiring While the Electricity is On
You may have seen a friend complete a wiring repair without turning off the main breakers. However, this is never advisable, especially without donning proper professional gear. There is always the potential for injury when working near an electrical flow.
Repairing a Periscope
The periscope, which is also known as the service mast, is the structure used to connect the service lines of your electric company to your home. The lines run from the provider's utility poles to your periscope, which may appear as a metal pole.
The periscope is actually a component of your home, so you may be tempted to work it on it if you believe that it is loose or in disrepair. However, tinkering with this item can be fatal. One touch could send hundreds of amps of electrical current into your body.
If you need to have an electrical repair completed on an item in your home, contact an electrician from a company like Morris Electric Contracting & Service, Inc.