Yesterday while attending to a service of clients Railglider (Cable car) The owner asked if I would look at some lights in his loungeroom as he had added dimmer controls, and they were now not working.
I always get a bad feeling about things when the owner of a property informs me he has installed something that is Electrical.
Anyway - after removing the plate from the wall, and checking the wiring through the switch, it was clear he didn't have a clue what he was doing.
He had short circuited through active and neutral, and this whole side of the house would have been in darkness as the breaker had tripped. I made the correct connections and restored the breaker.
He acted a little defencively about it saying he had his mind taken away from what he was doing at the time by kids acting up in another part of the home.
I don't take excuses lightly when talking Electricity. I don't believe in saving money over saving lives or property with it either. So I let fly with some words that I'm sure he won't forget.
People - Please" Do not play around and pretend to be a DIY Electrician for the weekend, or any other time. It is illegal to carry out any Electrical work if you are not Licensed to do so.
You cannot see Electricity, it bites hard when it bites. Sometimes with fatal results.
Forget about how much it's going to cost to call an Electrician, you need to stay alive to enjoy your homes and family. Your insurance will be void if found you have tampered with the wiring if something goes wrong, and it's just not worth the risk.
I personally don't care how smart you might think you are, having studied the basic principle in High school. Don't **** with this.
I've seen over my 35 yrs in the trade way too many faulty or incorrectly installed fixtures that are life threatening. I urge you to resist the temptation of DIY Electrical work.
Have a good and safe weekend.
I always get a bad feeling about things when the owner of a property informs me he has installed something that is Electrical.
Anyway - after removing the plate from the wall, and checking the wiring through the switch, it was clear he didn't have a clue what he was doing.
He had short circuited through active and neutral, and this whole side of the house would have been in darkness as the breaker had tripped. I made the correct connections and restored the breaker.
He acted a little defencively about it saying he had his mind taken away from what he was doing at the time by kids acting up in another part of the home.
I don't take excuses lightly when talking Electricity. I don't believe in saving money over saving lives or property with it either. So I let fly with some words that I'm sure he won't forget.
People - Please" Do not play around and pretend to be a DIY Electrician for the weekend, or any other time. It is illegal to carry out any Electrical work if you are not Licensed to do so.
You cannot see Electricity, it bites hard when it bites. Sometimes with fatal results.
Forget about how much it's going to cost to call an Electrician, you need to stay alive to enjoy your homes and family. Your insurance will be void if found you have tampered with the wiring if something goes wrong, and it's just not worth the risk.
I personally don't care how smart you might think you are, having studied the basic principle in High school. Don't **** with this.
I've seen over my 35 yrs in the trade way too many faulty or incorrectly installed fixtures that are life threatening. I urge you to resist the temptation of DIY Electrical work.
Have a good and safe weekend.