Benjamin Franklin, in his time, invented many things that he never quite understood but the one that changed our lives forever was electricity. Electricity pretty much rules our lives to this day. It is impossible to imagine our lives without the little technological advances we use in our everyday lives. From a toaster, to a smart television to Wi-Fi, without these, life would, as some say, cease to move forward.

While electricity is extremely beneficial and useful, it is equally as dangerous. If you are facing an electrical issue at home, you might be tempted to manage it yourself to save the money you would otherwise have to spend on calling in an electrician. You should know that the professional electricians are there for a reason.

They know and understand the dangers that come with the job. They are licensed and have proper training, which you do not. Working with the wiring of a house is much like brain surgery: one wrong move and the entire body can get paralyzed.

Now that paints quite a picture, doesn’t it? It is quite hectic to find an electrician when there are countless people out there that claim to be a master in the trade but actually do not even have a license. They do it just for the money. This has made electricians underdogs. Essential as they may be, they are underrated.

Before discussing how much you should pay an electrician, it is first important to understand what an electrician does in the first place and also why you need to hire one whenever there is an electrical problem. Now, let’s suppose that you walk into a room and flick the switch on. You expect the room to be instantly lit. But what would you do if the lights don’t come on? It is common behavior that many would immediately assume the power went out and check if that is the case.

If it is not, they call an electrician. It is important to keep in mind that a qualified electrician is the only one you should call for any kind of electrical job, which can range from installing small light fixtures to total rewiring of the house.

If you hire an unlicensed electrician for the job, you would be compromising on the quality of the work done and there would be safety hazards as well. One should know that electrical work, much like any other job, requires training. In most cases, an electrician is required to complete 5 years’ worth of education as well as roughly 10,000 hours of on-the-job training to get a license.

Surprised now, aren’t you? These electricians are taught vigorously how to work safely with electrical systems as well as how to abide by codes and laws, which is something an uncertified electrician would never know.

This job brings many hazards with it and so electricians are superheroes that put their lives at stake to bring your life to ease. In Oregon, an electrician on average makes $42,000 a year, which is fair considering the risks. Not to mention, they have spent the best part of a decade honing their craft to obtain their license and they have to make up for the time and cost involved in that. So, as you can see, the price they charge is worth paying because you get the best possible service.

So, before you think about how much you should or shouldn’t pay an electrician, think of the dangers that come with the job and what you would have to go through if you didn’t have an electrician to fix your problem, be it a high-voltage one or a low-voltage one. Hence, it won’t be wrong to say that they are competent professionals who possess certain skills which the average homeowner in Oregon doesn’t.

This is why it is important that you call an electrician every time you face an electrical issue at home. If you try to repair the problem yourself, you put your wellbeing at risk. Not to mention, any mishap with the electrical system can lead to a fire breaking out. In fact, your inexperience can actually cause more harm than good, resulting in you spending more on getting the work done than you would have to in the first place.

This is the final post in our four-part series, "The Secret Guide for Super Moms” — tips, tricks and hacks for busy moms who need to know everything that’s happening in their house.

If you believe Pinterest, every home repair or improvement project can be a do-it-yourself job. Apparently, if every blog is to be believed, moms and dads around the country are remodeling bathrooms, rebuilding old houses and refurbishing vintage furniture -- and they do it all the time! And they look great doing it! And they have plenty of time to take lots of photos!

Maybe some people really are able to do it all (and write about it, too). Most of us are too busy and simply don’t have the training to do more than the basics around the house. When it comes to potentially dangerous repairs, a super mom knows that she needs a professional. When the time comes to fix, rewire or repair her home’s electrical needs, she knows she needs an electrician.

Electrical wiring is complicated and can be dangerous -- and it's tough to spot signs you need an electrician. An amateur electrical job may cause poor wire connections, overloaded circuits or faulty grounding. These situations are hazardous to you, your family and your property. While it may be tempting to try saving money by doing it yourself, or trusting your spouse or a friend to help, you're better off spending the money to have the job done right.

Let's take a fairly common scenario: your fuses keep blowing, or your circuit breakers keep tripping. Yes, you can keep replacing the fuses, but do you know whether they're the right type? Screwing in a 20- or 30-amp fuse as a replacement for a 15 is tempting—no electricians needed, right?—but now you've created a fire hazard by overloading your wiring. The smarter move: call a professional, certified electrician to wire a new circuit.

Like fuses, circuit breakers are meant to prevent circuit overload and the risk of fire, but we use much more electricity than people of our parents' or grandparents' generation. As you upgrade and add appliances and gadgets, you may need to upgrade your circuit breaker panels to adequately supply your home with power. Hire an electrician to do the job, not your brother-in-law who swears he did the same kind of work in the navy. The work is extremely complicated and should not be attempted by an amateur.

Competition is a wonderful thing. It makes us want to strive to be better, and keeps us working hard.  But competition isn’t perfect; there’s always another option, and you can’t always tell right away what option is the best deal or the highest quality. It is easy to determine the quality when it comes to something inexpensive; if you don’t like a brand of motor oil or breakfast cereal, you can always buy something different next time. But what happens if you pick a bad electrician?  Failing to spot bad electrical contractors, could mean you’ll wind up paying way too much for your service. Paying too much might actually be the best-case scenario; shoddy electrical work done by “electricians” is a safety hazard, and one you might not even know about until it’s too late.

So how do you find quality electricians? As a Dallas electrician myself, I’ve learned over the years how to make sure the electrician you use is knowledgeable and high-quality: