Many Orange County-area homeowners opt to perform major electrical work in their homes and outbuildings, such as barns, garages and sheds, with little to no experience in working with wiring and electricity and/or knowledge of their region’s building and safety codes. One of the most common projects homeowners attempt to DIY is ceiling fan installation. While ceiling fans are a terrific investment and energy-saver for Southern California homes, they must be installed properly and safely by a trained electrician.
DIY ceiling fan installation comes with the following major risks:
- Physical injuries
- Electrical problems
- Regulation violations
Physical Injuries
Although it should be obvious, many homeowners fail to recognize that they can be seriously injured while attempting to install ceiling fans and chandeliers.
Even if you wear shoes designed with textured treads that provide excellent grip or someone helps to stabilize the ladder, you can still fall off a short or tall ladder and suffer severe injuries or death.
You can also get hurt while trying to lift and install a heavy ceiling fan or chandelier: You might drop it on yourself or someone else.
The fixture might fall from the ceiling after installation because you installed it incorrectly. Lastly, the electricity running through your home’s wires has a high voltage and you, or someone you love, might get electrocuted.
Electrical Problems
It’s all too easy for a homeowner to cause electrical issues through this type of DIY project. One common problem is that homeowners fail to check the ceiling and wall switch wires properly for damage and issues before installation.
Many homeowners also incorrectly connect the ceiling and fixture wires resulting in electrical sockets and other direct wired items in the same room not working at all or experiencing power surges.
Sparks, smoke and fire can also happen when you do a bad job of self-installing a ceiling fan or chandelier. These problems can result in injury, death and/or thousands of dollars in property damage.
Regulation Issues
State and counties have building and safety codes, including codes related to the installation of wiring and items that use electricity. Homeowners can face investigation fees and penalties, such as steep fines, for fire, wiring, related electrical and structural violations. You will also face additional costs to fix any violations.
Need to Install or Replace a Ceiling Fan in Orange County?
A professional electrician is the better choice for installing lighting and similar fixtures and handling any related services because he is trained with up-to-date information about how to complete these types of installations in a way that meets all of the current safety codes. If you want to install a new ceiling fan or replace an old one with a newer model, contact the Orange County electricians at Dial One Sonshine today.