Given just how much we depend on electricity nowadays, it’s normal to look for a quick solution for your home electrical repair needs. As fast as doing it yourself might seem, calling in an electrician will always be the best course of action. Everyone wants to save money, but hiring a professional for home electrical repair isn’t an expense you should try to avoid.

Basic knowledge and skills might be enough for various other types of repairs, but when it comes to electrical work, it just isn’t enough. Aside from the obvious dangers involved, you could cause the kind of damage that defeats the purpose of trying to cut costs in the first place.

A licensed electrician can diagnose your problem quickly. Beyond that, an experienced professional will resolve your problem in a way that will ensure it doesn’t come back. Unfortunately, even if you or your friends are good with tools, you can’t make that same promise. Trying to fix the problem yourself can make it worse, and when you finally call an expert in the price tag will be much harder to stomach.

The job could also become much lengthier, along with additional hours of frustration as the electrician corrects your mistakes in addition to the original problem. When it comes to electrical work, it takes only the smallest error to cause a big issue. Even an incorrectly placed wire could cause extensive — and expensive — damages. These issues could endanger your safety and prolong the duration of the repair job.

Experts will also have equipment in their arsenal that allows them to complete the job faster and more effectively than any amateur. As such, trying to save time by attempting repairs yourself is only going to achieve the opposite.

Even if you’re skilled enough to address what appears to be the issue plaguing your electrical system, you might still be doing more harm than good. Sometimes performing a minor repair, even one that seems to resolve the problem, only covers up a much more serious underlying issue. This can lead to a much bigger headache down the line, as the hidden problem will only worsen as you mistakenly believe everything is okay. Long-term issues like these become a time-consuming hassle to get repaired. Not only that, but they can also be extremely expensive if allowed to persist for too long.

You can avoid all that if a professional handles the home electrical repair in the first place. An expert electrician will catch the warning signs, even the subtle ones, and pinpoint the real issues at work. Sometimes, in spite of how you may feel, a quick fix is actually the last thing you need. Getting the problem repaired the right way so it won’t come back is much more important than reaching a speedy resolution.

Also, experienced professionals will not focus only on the home electrical repair that seems necessary. Instead, they assess the full picture when they work, which includes looking into the condition of your entire electrical system. This, apart from allowing for a more thorough and effective repair, can help them identify future problem areas. The earlier a pro spots the issue, the more easily it gets resolved.

Performing your own home electrical repair is an extremely risky move. This isn’t just because of the extra expenses associated with mistakes, or because you’d only make the problem worse. No, the most important reason you shouldn’t try to perform your own electrical repairs is safety!

As a Dallas Electrician will be familiar with standard wiring practices and will know the proper way to test the circuit that they will be working on to ensure that it is safe.

Another huge benefit to using a licensed electrician for your home electrical work is that they will be well versed in all of the building and safety codes required to make sure the job is done right. The reason that this is important is two-fold. First, it is legally required to adhere to all building and safety codes, and if you ever intend on selling your home or having it inspected for any other reason, a DIY Electrical repair or addition will cause your home to fail inspection if building and safety codes are not followed to the letter, generally costing you more money later down the line to have an improperly performed job repaired. Secondly, and even more important, is the fact that building and safety codes are put in place for a reason. If you are not familiar with these codes or do not follow them, you are putting yourself and your family at risk of electrical shock, electrical fires, and injury or death due to a faulty repair.

As referenced in a report by Business Week, the average US household in 2011 was spending upwards of 1/5 of the total household income on energy expenses. As energy costs continue to rise in the US it is important to understand where, in your home, are your greatest energy consumers.

Performing an electrical audit on electronic devices may reveal some interesting results. Use a simple kWh formula for calculating usage and cost. If the amount of wattage for a particular device is unknown, there are tables available online that provide average wattage ratings. For each device, calculate:

[(Wattage x Number of hours used daily) x 365 days/year ]÷ 1,000 = Daily Kilowatt-hour or kWh consumption

1,000 Watts = 1 Kilowatt

Using a personal desktop computer and a monitor as an example:

Take into consideration that various devices continue using electricity when turned “off.” Called phantom loads, the appliances that typically use the most unnecessary electricity in this form include computers, microwaves and other kitchen appliances, stereos, televisions and DVD players/recorders. When not in use, unplugging these appliances or switching an entire power strip off saves additional expense.

Heating and cooling costs consume the largest portion of monthly utility bills and inspecting a home for possible exterior and interior leaks and performing the necessary fixes may save considerable money. Visit responsiblebynature.org for tips from Xcel Energy.

An alternative might include hiring an energy-efficient electrician to perform an electricity audit. In addition to calculating appliance and electronic device usage and cost, a licensed professional electrician will also evaluate major appliances, lighting, heating/cooling thermostats and numerous other points throughout the home for efficiency and safety. Drawing on years of experience, an energy-efficient electrician also commonly provides recommendations, money-saving tips and suggestions for creating a more energy-efficient home.