Faulty electrical works are a safety risk for people and fire risk to your home. We’ve all seen the repercussions in the media of what can go wrong when standard safety measures are not taken into account, such as installing insulation in ceilings over the top of electrical cables.
It’s not illegal to buy your own electrical products from the hardware store – but you really should be licenced to carry out your own work. It may even affect your insurance policy if you haven’t used the appropriate people and you may not find out whether the insurance is affected until it’s too late.
When buying a home, ensure you get the building inspectors to take a look at the electrical cabling and works. They will advise you in their inspection repot if they believe it’s been done by an amateur. To replace all the electrical cabling could cost you thousands trying to get to all the right places for example they made to access wall cavities.
The government are currently running ads on TV to highlight issues around people doing their own electrical work. The main issues covered include – turn your electricity off at the main switchboard before you enter your roof and look up for wires if you’re doing anything around your guttering or roof. It is also good practice to let someone know you’re about to go into the ceiling and check for asbestos before starting any work.
Also be aware of using electrical charging items considering what happened to the Sheryl Anne Aldegeuer who was electrocuted using a USB charger on her phone and computer. The charger was not within Australian standards and it goes to show that we have licences and rules and regulations for reasons. Read more about her story here
Read More about Safety Switches and Roof Insulation Safety Issues
