What Electrical Work Can I Do Myself?

Sometimes we like to have a go at performing certain DIY tasks ourselves, be it putting up a shelf or screwing in a lightbulb. Some tasks are completely safe to do at home, whilst others require a professional to carry out for your own safety.

But which ones?

Sometimes it’s obvious, but sometimes we may convince ourselves that we can do a task that isn’t safe. Here, Electrical Estimates has outlined when and when not to try out an electrical DIY project for yourself.

What can you do?

There are some minor DIY jobs you can partake in. Let’s see which ones they are.

Replacing a light bulb. This may be an obvious one, but it is entirely safe for you to replace a lightbulb yourself, just ensure that the light switch is off before you do so. Also, please note that you WILL require an electrician when installing new or replacement lighting fixtures.
Replacing fuses/fuse wire. Some houses still have ceramic fuses or fuse wire that will blow out should a power overload happen, and you can replace them yourself. Note however, to turn off the main switchboard before you do so to ensure that no electricity is flowing.
Installing low-voltage electrical equipment. Installing equipment such as garden lights, pond pumps (on plug tops) or battery-operated smoke detectors can be undertaken yourself as they do not require hard wiring into electrical circuits.
Resetting circuit-breakers. Circuit-breakers are safety switches that turn off a circuit when a power overload occurs. Make sure to disconnect the appliances first and then reset the breakers by moving the paddle from the off to on position. If your power consistently trips however, get in touch with an electrician for an inspection, as frequent tripping is indicative of a fault in the circuit or appliance.

Take Caution!

If DIY electrical jobs are not carried out correctly, they can lead to injury and in serious cases, death. During 2017/18 three people lost their lives due to safety-related electrical incidents in Great Britain, during the same period 315 people suffered serious injuries. So when you are considering electrical work in your home we strongly recommend contacting a professional electrical company.

Considerations whilst carrying out other DIY

In 2021 electrical estimates attended 13 callouts to private properties in Ceredigion where the client was either installing shelving, hanging photos or redecorating their walls. The reason for these call outs? Hitting electrical cabling with nails or screws. Thankfully these clients were not one of the many people who are injured by electricity every year and if you would like to avoid this then please consider the following:

Power and lighting cables typically run vertically directly below or above accessories, so it’s good practice to not install mountings directly above sockets, switches or wall lights.
Cables in domestic properties can be as little as 5-10mm below the surface of your walls.
In older properties cables are placed into notches on the surface of floor beams and can be directly behind floor boards.
When in doubt switch off the power, if you are conducting DIY in a room, it’s always a good idea to turn off the relevant circuits in that room via the fuse board.

What to do if I need anything else carried out?

If you require any tasks doing that are not the ones listed above, please get in touch with a licensed professional to carry them out for you. Even if you simply need guidance or reassurance, Electrical Estimates is here to help and can recommend the best course of action.

Electrical Estimates are NICEIC approved contractors and the only CommScope Data approved installer in Mid Wales. We have a wide knowledge base within our workforce from mechanical, data to electrical to cover any level from domestic to large commercial sites. We are SSIP accredited and pride ourselves on our commitment to environmental, sustainable and community benefits. Whatever service you need, you can be assured Electrical estimates will carry out any works in a safe and professional manner.