With extra time on your hands and the lovely summer weather, your attention may be turning to your home and you may be considering doing some gardening or DIY. Whilst these activities can be rewarding and enjoyable there are risks that come with them, however, these are frequently overlooked.
The following blog has some guidance and tips for you to follow to allow you to stay safe this summer whilst you undertake electrical work by yourself in your home.
Electrical DIY Dangers
Everyone wants to do a bit of DIY both for the fulfilment and to save a bit of money, however without the correct equipment and knowledge, it can be dangerous and expensive to put right.
For some jobs, such as electrical rewiring, you must be able to prove that the work is done to the specification of Part P of the Building Regulations. This is a legal requirement, so in not doing so is a criminal offence and as a result, can mean that expensive remedial work is needed and can make selling or renting your property difficult in the future.
What Electrical jobs can you do at Home?
Although there are risks, there are still some jobs that you can carry out at home easily and safely. These include:
- Changing light bulbs
- Replacing a blown fuse
- Cleaning and maintaining smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
- Changing the battery in burglar alarms
- Trip testing an RCD
- Checking the condition of a consumer unit
- Visually inspecting cables, sockets and appliances for damage (see our blog – Does your plug socket need to be replaced? – for more information)
If you have any concerns or questions about the above then do not hesitate to Contact Us.
Electrical Safety Considerations
When undertaking any DIY jobs it is important that you ensure you are working in the safest way possible, to help you do this we have compiled the following points for you to take into consideration whilst completing electrical or general DIY around your home:
- Caution – when drilling into walls be cautious as it could result in wiring being drilled through if you do not know where the wires are situated.
- Power off – When carrying out any DIY work near lights, wiring or other electrical fittings make sure the power is switched off.
- Children – Make sure that if you have children that they are aware of the dangers that come with electricity, the following website has some useful resources to help explain http://www.switchedonkids.org.uk/
- RCD – before carrying out any DIY make sure your RCD is working, if necessary, use a plugin RCD.
Staying Safe in the Garden
During the warmer weather, you will no doubt be turning your attention to the garden, follow the below points to make sure that you stay safe whilst doing so:
- RCD – When using appliances outside such as lawnmowers, use a plugin RCD this means that if you accidentally cut through the wire it will prevent injury.
- Inspection – Before using any electrical tool, give it a visual inspection to access the condition.
- Power off – Before cleaning or adjusting drills or power tools, make sure to switch them off first to prevent injury.
- Water Feature – When installing any water feature make sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions. If you have any issues Contact Us
- Keep Dry – When storing equipment make sure that it is kept in a dry location.
For more information on getting electricity into your garden read our Blog – 10 Tips on getting Power to your Shed or Garden.
Going Abroad
Finally, with the warmer weather, we also start to think about going on holiday. If this is you and you are planning on going abroad make sure that you take a plug adapter that is compatible with the power outlets in the country you are travelling to. A list of these can be found here.
At FBS Electrical, as your local Domestic Electrician, we are happy to help with advice on your next Electrical DIY project or if a project went wrong we can come and help put it right, so Contact Us today to get started.