You probably have a few lights in various corners of your house. Maybe you even have some recessed lighting or pendant lights over your kitchen island or dining room table. What you might not know is that these are some of the trickiest light fixtures to install yourself. Even if you’re handy and confident, trying to install new electrical lighting can be dangerous. An electrician will be able to provide advice, offer professional installation services, and make sure everything is up to code – all things that are good for your home and peace of mind. An electrician has the skills and knowledge needed to tackle nearly any electrical project with ease. Whether you need help installing lights, upgrading an outlet, or repairing damage from a lightning strike, an electrician can get the job done quickly and efficiently with lttle risk involved. Here are just a few reasons why hiring a Vancouver electrician is the best choice when it comes to installing new electrical lighting in your home:
New Lighting Means New Wiring
If you’re simply replacing an old light fixture with a new one, an electrician’s assistance might not be necessary. However, if you’d like to install brand new lights in a previously unlighted space or install lights in a location where they’ve never been before, you’ll need to run new wiring. To do this, the electrician will need to cut a hole in the wall, run the wiring through the wall cavity, and then seal up the hole. An electrician also needs to connect the wiring to your home’s electrical box and run the wiring to the new lights. Cutting into walls and ceilings can be dangerous if not done properly. A Vancouver electrician can ensure that your new wiring is installed safely, efficiently, and to code.
Installing Light Fixtures Can Be Dangerous
Light fixture replacements and installations on a ceiling that wasn’t built to support them can be dangerous for a variety of reasons. If the wires are not connected properly, they can become loose, fall down, and cause a short circuit or electrical fire. If the structure isn’t capable of supporting the weight of the new lights, the ceiling can collapse. Simply hammering nails into a joist to hang a light is a bg no-no; you may have even heard the term “gypsy wiring” which refers to homeowners trying to install lights without a permit or licensing. If any of these things happen, you not only risk your own safety but also the safety of your family and any guests who visit your home. A Vancouver electrician can help to ensure that the light fixture replacement or installation is done properly, so you don’t have to worry about the ceiling falling down, wiring malfunctions, or fire hazards – and your home will be safer for it.
An Electrician Can Help with Code Issues
Installing a new light (or several new lights) on your own can be a great DIY project, but it’s important to check with your city’s building code before beginning. An electrician will help you determine if your wiring is up to code, which means it’s capable of safely powering the lights you want to install. An electrician can help you check your electrical box to make sure it’s the right size, or if a new one is needed. And if your wiring meets code, but doesn’t have enough capacity, the electrician can run new wiring from the main source to your electrical box. This is called a “new circuit” or “new circuit breaker.” This is a service that electricians provide regularly and can help you determine whether you need it for your project.
Electricians Ensure Safer Installations
Installing lights on your own is doable, but it can be easy to make a mistake that could lead to a dangerous situation. For example, many people make the mistake of thinking they can connect a standard light fixture to a circuit with a light switch. If a circuit is only capable of running 15 amps, and a light fixture requires 20 amps, you’ll create a safety hazard. In this situation, the circuit breaker will trip, shutting off power to your lights and other connected devices. Because you cant see the problem, you won’t be aware of the issue until the next time you flip the switch and the circuit breaker trips again. The same goes for not having enough power running to your home. If you try to run too many things on one circuit, there could be a fire hazard. A Vancouver electrician can help you solve these problems and more before they happen. We’ll check your wiring to ensure it’s up to code, and will install your new lights with safety as the top priority.
Conclusion
Installing new electrical lighting isn’t easy, and there’s a lot that can go wrong if you don’t know what you’re doing. Let an experienced Vancouver electrician like us handle the job for you and ensure everything is installed properly and up to code. We can also help with any code issues, and ensure that your home is safer for it.
