A qualified domestic electrician is a crucial part of any home, especially when it comes to electrical maintenance. Having your home’s electrical system checked regularly by a professional can help prevent potential hazards, and ensure that all wiring is up to code.
A lot of people are surprised to learn that their home’s electrical systems require regular maintenance and inspections to keep them up to date. In addition to preventing potential fire hazards, a home’s electrical system is responsible for ensuring that appliances like televisions and washing machines work properly and safely.
There are a few different types of electricians, and each specialises in a specific field of electrical work. One of the most common is the domestic electrician, who primarily works on electrical installations within residential homes. The other is the commercial electrician, who focuses on larger industrial and commercial properties. Both types of electricians can perform electrical maintenance and inspections, but the skills required to do so differ.
Domestic electricians often have to work on a small scale with less complex electrical systems, and they usually only deal with single-phase circuits that operate at 240 volts. They also tend to work on smaller projects such as repairing and installing household appliances, lighting, and heating. They may also be called on to install or repair security equipment.
Those who are interested in becoming a domestic electricians can take a course at a training centre or college to get the necessary skills and qualifications. In many cases, these courses will be run as an apprenticeship, allowing trainees to gain practical experience while working on real projects. The Apprenticeship Programme offered by Electacourse is a good example of this, and offers a full qualification package that takes 18 days to complete. This includes modules on electrical inspection and testing, wiring regulations and building regulations for domestic installations.
Most of the time, a domestic electrician will be self-employed, meaning that they will be their own boss and are responsible for finding their own customers and managing their own workload. They will typically have to travel to different jobsites, so they will need a vehicle to transport themselves and their tools. They will need to be able to work at heights, and are likely to do some ‘chopping out’ on walls when carrying out rewires – this is where they sink boxes back into plastered walls and cut chases for cables using a grinder or SDS drill.
Another common task that a domestic electrician will carry out is upgrading wires and breaker boxes in older houses. Houses built before dryers, computers and more advanced TVs became commonplace are often not wired to handle the wattage of today’s electronics, and this can cause issues like tripping breakers or even house fires. This type of work is usually done by fully qualified electricians and can be a great way to earn extra money from your home.