Electrician Questions And Answers

1⟩ Should I immediately call an electrician or first attempt to do an electrical job myself?

When dealing with an electrical problem, it's best to contact a licensed professional at once. If you try to solve the problem on your own, you could jeopardize your safety as well as that of your electrical system and equipment. And though it's not as urgent, electrical installation of any kind also merits expert assistance.

It's likely that you don't want to hire an electrician because of the expense, but that plan could easily backfire. Any mistakes you make may lead to damages that will only cost you more in the long run.

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2⟩ What kind of electrician should I hire?

Electricians have varying levels of experience and qualifications. There are apprentices, Journeyman electricians, and Master electricians.

An apprentice is still required to work under the supervision of a Journeyman and Master electrician. A Journeyman electrician has extensive knowledge of various electrical fields and can work unsupervised, but he is still not sufficiently qualified to take on electrical projects of utmost complexity. A master electrician is fully qualified to handle any electrical project. Your electrician's experience should at least be directly proportional to the difficulty of the job you need to have done.

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3⟩ What makes an electrician qualified to do what he does?

His years of studying, training, and gaining relevant experience. An electrician needs to complete school and spend years (or the equivalent of several thousand working hours) as an apprentice before he even becomes eligible for a license. Add the skill and experience he developed after acquiring his license, and you should be confident that he can serve you well.

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4⟩ Is an electrician license really that important?

Absolutely. A valid professional license is the ultimate proof of your electrician's qualifications. Without one, your electrician can't assure you that he has gone through the requisite training and tests that would enable him to perform at a high standard and in accordance with the NEC. Never hire an unlicensed electrician if you're after quality service. (Refer to our “Electrician Licensing” page for more on this.)

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5⟩ What is the NEC?

NEC stands for National Electrical Code. Refer to our page on the NEC for more details.

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6⟩ Is there any way for me to spend less for availing of electrician services?

One of the best ways to save money on electrician costs is to do some research. Find out how much electrician companies and individual electricians charge for their services. Compare quotes between different electrician service providers and determine which one is best for your budget. You can learn more tips from our “Work and Costs” section.

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7⟩ What is an electrical contractor?

Electrical contractors are qualified to install and connect wiring, fixtures and appliances. They also install solar panels and other equipment for generating power.

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8⟩ How much does an electrician charge?

Most good quality electricians will provide you with a detailed quotation free. For smaller jobs, a price estimate is often available over the phone.

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9⟩ What should I do if I need to hire an electrical contractor?

Be sure to hire a licensed professional electrician. There a several reasons for this:

1. you’ll get a better job

2. work will comply with the building code

3. you won’t have an insurance problems if something goes wrong

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10⟩ What rules do electrical contractors have to follow?

Electrician is a trade qualification and electrical contractors are licensed in each state. Many electricians also choose to belong to professional associations like NECA (National Electrical & Communications Association).

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11⟩ What is a safety switch?

A safety switch is a device fitted to the property supply that cuts out electricity almost instantly in the event of a significant power leak or surge.

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12⟩ How do I know if my electrical installation is safe?

Only a qualified electrical contractor is licensed to properly test your installation for safety and issue a compliance certificate.

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13⟩ I have got old wiring, can any electrician handle that?

Old wiring can be dangerous. Use a licensed electrician with experience in older homes or property.

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14⟩ When do I call an electrician?

Whenever you have a job relating to power or wiring.

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15⟩ Can’t I do the work myself?

It’s OK to visit the hardware shop and buy the switch you like the look of. But you need a licensed electrician to complete the work. A licensed electrician will issue a certificate to show the work complies with building standards. That way your property won’t be devalued or insurance issues crop up in the event of a problem.

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16⟩ What is the NEC? Where can I get a copy?

The NEC is a model electrical code devised and published by the

National Fire Protection Association, an insurance industry group.

It's revised every three years. The 1993 version has been released.

You can buy a copy at a decent bookstore, or by calling them directly

at 800-344-3555. The code exists in several versions. There's the

full text, which is fairly incomprehensible. There's an abridged

edition, which has only the sections likely to apply to most houses.

And there's the NEC Handbook, which contains the ``authorized

commentary'' on the code, as well as the full text. That's the

recommended version. Unfortunately, there's no handbook for

the abridged edition. And the full handbook is expensive --

US$65 plus shipping and handling.

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17⟩ What is UL listing?

The UL stands for "Underwriters Laboratory". It used to be

an Insurance Industry organization, but now it is independent

and non-profit. It tests electrical components and equipment

for potential hazards. When something is UL-listed, that means

that the UL has tested the device, and it meets their requirements

for safety - ie: fire or shock hazard. It doesn't necessarily

mean that the device actually does what it's supposed to, just

that it probably won't kill you.

The UL does not have power of law in the U.S. -- you are

permitted to buy and install non-UL-listed devices. However,

insurance policies sometimes have clauses in them that will

limit their liability in case of a claim made in response to

the failure of a non-UL-listed device. Furthermore, in

many situations the NEC will require that a wiring component

used for a specific purpose is UL-listed for that purpose.

Indirectly, this means that certain parts of your wiring

must be UL-listed before an inspector will approve it and/or

occupancy permits issued.

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18⟩ What is CSA approval?

Every electrical device or component must be certified by the

Canadian Standards Association (or recognized equivalent) before

it can be sold in Canada. Implicit in this is that all wiring

must be done with CSA-approved materials. They perform testing

similar to the UL (a bit more stringent), except that CSA (or

recognized equivalent) approval is required by law.

Again, like the UL, if a fire was caused by non-CSA-approved

equipment, your insurance company may not have to pay the

claim.

Note: strictly speaking, there usually is a legal way around

the lack of a CSA sticker. In some cases (eg: Ontario), a

local hydro inspection prior to purchase, or prior to use, is

acceptable. The hydro inspector will affix a "hydro sticker"

to the unit, which is as good as CSA approval. But it costs

money - last I knew, $75 per unit inspected.

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19⟩ What is a circuit?

Inside the panel, connections are made to the incoming wires.

These connections are then used to supply power to selected

portions of the home. There are three different combinations:

1) one hot, one neutral, and ground: 110V circuit.

2) two hots, no neutral, and ground: 220V circuit.

3) two hots, neutral, and ground: 220V circuit + neutral,

and/or two 110V circuits with a common neutral.

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20⟩ What does a fuse or breaker do? What are the differences?

Fuses and circuit breakers are designed to interrupt the power

to a circuit when the current flow exceeds safe levels. For

example, if your toaster shorts out, a fuse or breaker should

"trip", protecting the wiring in the walls from melting. As

such, fuses and breakers are primarily intended to protect the

wiring -- UL or CSA approval supposedly indicates that the

equipment itself won't cause a fire.

Fuses contain a narrow strip of metal which is designed to melt

(safely) when the current exceeds the rated value, thereby

interrupting the power to the circuit. Fuses trip relatively

fast. Which can sometimes be a problem with motors which have

large startup current surges. For motor circuits, you can use

a "time-delay" fuse (one brand is "fusetron") which will avoid

tripping on momentary overloads. A fusetron looks like a

spring-loaded fuse. A fuse can only trip once, then it must be

replaced.

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Electrician

Home Other Professions Electrician

30 Electrician Questions And Answers

1⟩ Should I immediately call an electrician or first attempt to do an electrical job myself?

2⟩ What kind of electrician should I hire?

3⟩ What makes an electrician qualified to do what he does?

4⟩ Is an electrician license really that important?

5⟩ What is the NEC?

6⟩ Is there any way for me to spend less for availing of electrician services?

7⟩ What is an electrical contractor?

8⟩ How much does an electrician charge?

9⟩ What should I do if I need to hire an electrical contractor?

10⟩ What rules do electrical contractors have to follow?

11⟩ What is a safety switch?

12⟩ How do I know if my electrical installation is safe?

13⟩ I have got old wiring, can any electrician handle that?

14⟩ When do I call an electrician?

15⟩ Can’t I do the work myself?

16⟩ What is the NEC? Where can I get a copy?

17⟩ What is UL listing?

18⟩ What is CSA approval?

19⟩ What is a circuit?

20⟩ What does a fuse or breaker do? What are the differences?

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Electrician

Home Other Professions Electrician

30 Electrician Questions And Answers

1⟩ Should I immediately call an electrician or first attempt to do an electrical job myself?

2⟩ What kind of electrician should I hire?

3⟩ What makes an electrician qualified to do what he does?

4⟩ Is an electrician license really that important?

5⟩ What is the NEC?

6⟩ Is there any way for me to spend less for availing of electrician services?

7⟩ What is an electrical contractor?

8⟩ How much does an electrician charge?

9⟩ What should I do if I need to hire an electrical contractor?

10⟩ What rules do electrical contractors have to follow?

11⟩ What is a safety switch?

12⟩ How do I know if my electrical installation is safe?

13⟩ I have got old wiring, can any electrician handle that?

14⟩ When do I call an electrician?

15⟩ Can’t I do the work myself?

16⟩ What is the NEC? Where can I get a copy?

17⟩ What is UL listing?

18⟩ What is CSA approval?

19⟩ What is a circuit?

20⟩ What does a fuse or breaker do? What are the differences?

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