Common electrical mistakes made by homeowners

Power boards and adapters

A lot of the mistakes we come across have to do with power boards and adaptors. Many people think that a PowerPoint with two outlets is sometimes not enough and tend to turn it into a ten-outlet point by installing multiple banked-up power boards and/or adaptors.

This is an unsafe practice and, in the long run, can lead to greater issues, such as overloading power points or lead to nuisance tripping of your protection devices and safety switches (circuit breakers or residual current devices – RCDs).

It is recommended to use only one double adapter or power board per power point, regardless of whether it is a single or double power point. If you are in need of more outlets in a certain area, it’s best to get a qualified electrician to install additional powerpoints where desired.

Switchboards

A common question asked by homeowners is: “Why does the switch in my switchboard switch off when I’m running heaters or kitchen appliances in my home?” The reason this occurs is that the circuit is overloading (i.e. too many high-load appliances are on at the same time).

Each circuit in your home has a maximum operating point. If you reach that point by adding multiple high-load items on that particular circuit, then the protection device or safety switch (circuit breakers and/or residual current devices – RCDs) in your board will say, “I’ve had enough”, and it will switch off as it is designed to do.

High-load appliances include toasters, electric kettles, sandwich makers, portable heaters and A/Cs, hairdryers and straighteners, etc. These all consist of high loads, and if operated at the same time as each other (depending on how the circuits are set up), it can lead to overloading and tripping of the devices. To prevent this issue, it’s a good idea to operate high-load appliances at different times.

Amateur electricians

Another issue that we repeatedly encounter is people attempting to become their own electricians!

1) Rules aren’t made to be broken
The process, procedure and rules relating to electrical installations must be met as they play a very significant and vital role in electrical safety. That’s why a licensed company or electrician is the solution to your problem. Most, if not all, the rules are not known by your average homeowner. Sometimes, taking things into your own hands to save a few dollars may end up costing you a lot more in the long run!

2) Job half-done
Many homeowners get halfway through a job before realising they need some professional assistance. An electrician will react to this situation in one of two ways.

– The professional approach: The company will turn the work down as they have high respect for the customer and integrity in the company’s work, as the job may sometimes be not worth the possible issues or problems that can occur in the future due to corner cutting.
In addition, certain warranties will not be granted as the work was not fully installed or completed by them. This, in my opinion, would be the company I would deal with as it shows a high respect for you as a customer and for themselves as a company.

– The “anything goes” approach: “Anything goes” so long as the customer saves a little bit of money and that company walks away with something they are happy with. As a customer, you must question the integrity and professionalism of the company and its quality of work. When you pay a low price that’s too good to be true, you must consider that you’re more than likely to get a cheap and low standard of work.

And when you’re dealing with electricity, we think anyone would agree it’s sometimes not worth playing with!

Key points to remember

• ALWAYS use one power board or adaptor per PowerPoint.
• Operate high-load appliances at different times.
• For your own safety, leave the electricity for the professionals!
• Always deal with professionals, even if they cost a little more. It always pays off.

List your electrical job now.

About Moe and Electrotech
Moe is Director of Electrotech, a Sydney-based company, and has many years of experience as an electrical contractor. He is committed to providing the best quality of workmanship and excellence -safely and responsibly. Electrotech offers quality customer service, with the team on call 24 hours, 7 days a week.

The wide range of services offered includes ALL electrical works, Switchboard Upgrades, Data & Communication Systems, Security Systems, Audio & Visual Systems, Industrial Automation & Control Systems, Air Conditioning, Service & Maintenance contracts, Renovations, Shop & Office Fit-Outs, and Safety Inspections.