Electricity is a valuable product that’s needed by residences, businesses as well as industries, on a daily basis. However, electricity can be hazardous as well. Electricity is designed to make people’s life simpler. But if you aren’t careful, you could end up getting hurt or worse.

This is why it’s important for electricians to exercise caution when working on any electrical appliances or machines. Electrical issues are also common problems in the household. From time to time, a device may malfunction or the wiring may need to be inspected. And residential electricians are perfect for this job.

When Are Residential Electricians Needed?

A licensed residential electrician will need to be called in should people find issues with electricity or electrical appliances in their homes. You could be asked to inspect the electrical wiring, as well as all the outlets. As a residential electrician, it’s likely that you carry a checklist with you. This enables many electricians to effectively do their jobs.

But are there special tips and tricks that could help you to take your career as a residential electrician to another level? Here are six tips that residential electricians will find useful:

1. Remodeling Electrical Boxes

Remodeling boxes are also known as ‘cut-in boxes’. Before they can be installed, the drywall either on the wall or the ceiling, will first need to be installed. The package comes with flip-up ears, that help to protect it. Bending tabs could also be used to make the rear side of the drywall more snug.

If you find yourself needing to mount a box that is standard sized, against framing, then you’ll first need to cut a small hole. This should be roughly the size of the box. Then, slide your electrical box into the space you’ve created. You’ll need to ensure the screws are tightened, and then finally you’ll need to pull the tabs or the ears towards the drywall.

2. Upgrading Circuit Breakers

It’s not uncommon for circuit breakers to sometimes trip. This is as many old circuit breakers can’t handle the high voltage electronics as well as HVAC systems that are commonly used. What you can do to fix this issue is upgrade the circuit breaker in question.

That way, it’ll be able to bear load for a longer period of time.

3. Using Various Switches With A Single Hot Wire

There could be times when you encounter a wire box that has three switches or more. This is already crowded, but you could need to add more connections. In such cases, you should ensure that the hot wire is left extra long.

If you need to connect switches, then the wire should first be scored with the help of a wire stripper. This forces the insulation to leave, which exposes around 3/4 inches of the bare wire. This bare section is wrapped around the score terminal of the first switch at least 3/4th of the length. Then repeat this process for the other intermediate switches. You can also attach the last switch in the same way as others, but you’ll need to loop the wire in a clockwise direction around your screw.

You should also consider insurance for electricians. This is as your career leaves you vulnerable to several risks, such as getting sued by clients. With insurance for electricians, you can protect your career as well as your finances. If you want to learn more about insurance for electricians, then click here.

4. Electrical Wiring Tracing Within Walls

There are various tools that electricians use in order to map out what the electrical wiring within walls looks like. One such tool is the magnetic stud finder. It can detect wall studs as well as nails made of metal.

After you’ve located the wires, you may find voltage detectors helpful. These help you test whether the wires are live or not. Another tool you can use is a neon circuit tester. This device can help you detect voltage.

5. Using Metal Conduits

Electrical wires should be secured. A useful trick electricians use to secure electrical wires, is to pull single strands of the wire through a conduit made of metal. It’s possible to draw cables from an electrical box to another one, with the help of the single strands that are within the conduit.

6. Moving Ceiling Lights Without Needing To Run More Wire

Electrical codes mandate that electrical devices as well as wiring for such devices need to be enclosed within an electrical box. This box, made of plastic or metal, is also called a junction box. It comes with a cover that helps to keep the wiring shielded inside.

You could also use integrated boxes as well as closures, in order to make wire connections. These are devices that are attached to a surface tightly, and they have the same role as a junction box.

Conclusion

There are several tips and tricks that you can use to make your job easier, if you’re a residential electrician. This guide provides you with six such useful tips, from how to use metal conduits to upgrading circuit breakers. Use this guide to learn tips that can enable you to up your game as a residential electrician.