Electrical Problems

Electrical Mistakes to Avoid

Below are more electrical mistakes that laymen often make. These can be dangerous, so of you are not certain how to do something safely, call in a licensed electrician:

  1. Having Exposed Flammable Materials: All electrical boxes need to be flush to your wall surface if the wall is made of any type of combustible product. Boxes that are recessed behind any sort of wood, for example, are a fire hazard.
  2. Installing Cables Without a Clamp: Cable that is not properly secured can get strained. In a metal box, the sharp edge can even cut the wire’s insulation. A single plastic box does not need a clamp inside, but the cable still has to be stapled within at least eight inches of that box. A larger plastic box needs to have cable clamps built in and the cable has to be stapled within a foot of the box. Jacksonville electricians can do this for you if you are unsure how.
  3. Having an Electrical Box That Is Too Small: Having too many wires in an electrical box may lead to overheating and fire. The National Electrical Code has specific minimum box sizes to cut down on the risk.
  4. Mistaking Hot and Neutral Wires: If you connect the black hot wire to your neutral terminal, this can create a deadly shock. This can be especially dangerous because you may not know it is hooked up wrong until a person gets shocked. The reason is that most devices and lights will still work fine even if it is installed wrong. You always need to connect your white wire to your neutral terminal. The neutral terminal will always be obviously marked.

If you choose to do any of these electrical fixes on your own, you really need to be certain that you are doing everything according to code so that it is safe. There is no point to saving money and doing it yourself if you are doing electrical work wrong.