Electrical jobs should never be turned into a DIY project, unless you have formal training and experience in the field. While electricity is extremely useful and necessary, if it isn’t handled correctly, it can be pretty dangerous too. If you get a novice to handle the job for you that can result in overloaded circuits, poor wiring connections or even faulty grounding, which can be extremely dangerous to you and your family and result in a fire outbreak as well. Here are some common services for which you would need to call in an electrician:

The main electrical panels provide electricity to your entire house. If you have older panels with fuses and older wiring, those may not be able to bear the load of any new appliances you decide to install on your property. The latest electrical appliances tend to add heavy loads on the system and your older wiring installations won’t be able to support those loads. If you are getting new appliances, call in a licensed electrician to test and inspect the wiring and circuit breakers on your property.

If you need any new outlets installed or need existing ones converted to USB ports, you would have to call in an electrician for the job. Oftentimes, electrical codes necessitate that a minimum of 1 outlet in your kitchen and bathroom be a GFCI outlet. These are specifically designed to shut off the power in case there is an imbalance in electricity or if water comes in contact with any of the electrical equipment or fittings; this helps in preventing shock in these areas.

It’s important that there be certified and licensed electrician should handle. They will take all the necessary precautions while doing any kind of electrical work on your property.

One of the most popular lighting trends of the past decade has been the use of via etsy.com

Antique or edison light bulbs generally come in a few different shapes. One popular shape is the tubular light bulb, and the DIY fixture above is a great use for the tubular light bulb shape. Tubular antique light bulbs really show off their filaments, and the glowing filaments are the star of the show!

2. Also Pretty Tubular!

Candelabra based antique light bulbs are very popular and are great for use in chandeliers, pendants, and other fixtures that use this smaller kind of light bulb. I didn’t want you to think that antique light bulbs only came in medium-based varieties. No, you can create a vintage lighting look with your fixtures that use candelabra based light bulbs, too.

4. Blowing the Dust Off an Old Look

Another popular shape for edison light bulbs is the globe. This envelope shape is more spherical and looks great alone, but when grouped together as in the above photo, you can see the reflection of the glowing filaments in all the globes of glass, and this is a pretty neat effect. Such a warm look.

6. The Industrial Look

Some people like to use antique light bulbs in new fixtures that look old, and some people like to use antique light bulbs in old fixtures that look new. In this case, very old cages have been restored to use in a new light fixture. This represents what edison bulbs are all about, holding onto the beautiful things of the past. In this age of integrated LEDs and the dawning of things like via etsy.com

This homemade light fixture features quartz crystals hanging down amongst the edison bulbs. This is pretty neat. The crystals are the perfect things to arrest the warm glow emanating from the antique light bulbs. What a creative idea.

9. Wall Sconce

Tangled wires are a pain in the neck. That's true whether you're managing multiple devices at your computer desk, trying to find space at a cluttered kitchen counter or juggling power tools at your workbench. One way to bring order to chaos is to create an overhead power strip, a project you can DIY with some very simple electrical work. Read on for some tips to get started.

A Simple Solution for Your Electrical Work

To create the most basic version of an overhead power strip, all you really need is a piece of wood, some screws, and a mountable power strip (look for one that has slots for screw heads in the bottom). For added convenience, a plastic raceway or access to a router tool will be helpful to secure the power strip's cord to the wood.

The first step, in that case, is to either use the router to cut a slot in the wood that can hold the cord, or attach the raceway to the wood for the same purpose. Make sure you leave room to attach the power strip itself, and there is enough cord left at the other end to reach the nearest outlet.

Securely Installing the Strip

Next, measure how far apart the screw slots are on the back of the power strip, and mark the distance out on the wood. Install appropriately-sized screws at the marked spots, leaving some clearance under the screw head so the power strip can easily slide on and off. Test out the setup and make sure that the strip fits and can hang securely upside down – if it's loose, you may have to adjust some of the screws.

Finally, you need to decide how to mount your overhead power strip. Options include hanging it under a kitchen cabinet or shelf on the workbench, affixing it to a wall, or using a post to hang it closer to the center of a room. Remember, this power strip is for your convenience, so you want to position it where it will be most useful.

Customize the Power Strip to Your Convenience

Of course, once you get the idea for how to hang a power strip, you can then customize it to your liking – for example, putting a hinge on the end allows you to swing it back against the wall when you aren't using it. You can also branch out with many of the modern, innovative power strip models on the market to customize your workspace even further.

For help keeping your cords in order, or assistance with any other electrical work, contact an expert electrician today.