What does an electrician do?

 Maybe the answer seems obvious to you—they do electrical work. They work with electricity. However what does that mean exactly? What does an electrician do?

Electricians have several responsibilities, including setting up electrical installations in either residential or commercial buildings. However that doesn’t tell you very much about the daily tasks that an electrician may complete during their job. Some of the tasks an electrician may need to handle on a job include:

• Reading blueprints to learn where circuits, outlets, panel boards, and other electrical components are to be found
• Planning how to layout the installation of electrical wiring through a building, or even throughout several buildings
• Installing the actual electrical equipment, including electrical machines, telecommunication equipment, and more
• Maintaining or replacing circuit breakers, fuses, and faulty wires
• Inspect and trouble shoot electrical equipment
• Teaching apprentice electricians

Thus these are just some of the tasks that an electrician might complete during a day on the job.

Are the different types of electricians? 

Although some electrical installers may complete similar tasks on the job, there are actually different types of electrical installers that handle different types of jobs. Therefore The four main types of installation are:

• Residential. A residential electrician will mostly work on electrical jobs in people’s homes and places of residency.
• A telecommunications electrician deals with all things related to forms of communication. This can include telephone poles and wiring, computers, and network wiring. This is more commonly known as a structured cabling engineer. More information on data cabling can be found here
• Commercial electricians deal with more large-scale, complex jobs than residential electricians. They will often work on jobs in larger buildings, such as office complexes, factories, shopping malls, sports arenas, and college campuses.
• Outside electrical engineers . These electricians are responsible for setting up the cables that go from power plants to buildings and homes.

While these are the four main types of electricians, there are many different specialties within the electrical field.

 What skills are required to be successful in the field?

Being an electrician requires specialized training. In addition an electrician needs to both have solid knowledge of the field, and their specialty within the field, as well as the following skills:

• Problem solving skills. An electrician is required to have expert problem-solving skills. Furthermore the job requires them to diagnose electrical problems and decide on the best solution.
• Mechanical skills. Being an electrician is a hand-on job. therefore a good electrician will have no problem working with their hands, or taking apart and reassembling mechanical equipment.
• Physical strength and stamina. As mentioned, being an electrician is a physical job that requires strength and stamina. In addition the job requires movement, carrying heavy electrical equipment, and more.
• Communication. Job instructions often are given in written form and some jobs have performance logs. In addition, electricians need to be able to easily communicate with co-workers if they are working on a job together. Therefore, solid reading, writing, and verbal communication skills are important to being a successful electrician.
• Customer service skills. As an electrician, you need to be able to serve your client’s needs. Furthermore Electricians often work directly with customers and must be able to answer their questions and address their needs.
• Colour vision. It is important that an electrician has good vision. Often, they will need to tell different electrical wires apart based on their colour.

Is being an electrician a dangerous job?

Electricity by its very nature can be hazardous. Thus Electricians need to take certain precautions on the job to ensure their safety and the safety of anyone else on the job site. Therefore, electricians must follow strict safety guidelines.

These types of guidelines can include not touching electrical equipment when hands or feet are perspiring. In addition touching electrical equipment with the back of the hand only, and draining capacitors before working near them.

These are just some of the precautions an electrician needs to make on the job. In addition, an electrician must wear protective clothing. Types of protective clothing an electrician must wear include:

• Flash personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Fire-retardant clothing (FRC)
• Electrician vests
• Electrical safety gloves
• Industrial safety boots

Part of an electrician’s job is to make sure that your commercial and home’s electrical installation is safe and well-functioning. Therefore it is equally important that an electrician keeps themselves, the work-site, and all other employees on the job site safe as well.

How does someone become an electrician?

There are several different levels of certifications one can get to become an electrician. For example Electricians are skilled tradesmen that need to receive proper training and education in order to be successful in the field. The three main levels of becoming an electrician are apprentice, journeyman, and master electrician.

Why do I need to hire a professional?

There are several reasons why you will want to hire a professional to complete any electrical work, repairs, maintenance, or to install a new electrical system.

First, an professional will make sure to ensure safety on the job. Electricity is dangerous and electricians are trained to be aware of these hazards and act with caution. Electrical work that is done incorrectly can cause a fire in your home or business. By hiring a professional electrician, you can be sure they will make sure to keep your home or business safe.

Second, a professional has received the training to perform a job correctly. Thus saving you time and money in the long run. Furthermore a DIY job could actually cause electrical damage to your home, requiring more expensive repairs and maintenance down the road. Thus by hiring a professional electrician, you can avoid this.

Finally, a professional spends years of training to acquire the proper skills and knowledge to complete electrical work safely and properly. While you may be tempted to try and do electrical work yourself by watching a YouTube video, this won’t give you all the information you really need to complete the job successfully. Electrical work can be complicated, and you will want a skilled professional to complete the job and keep your home safe.

Being an electrician is an important and rewarding career. Furthermore a good installer will take pride in the work that they do. Our professional electricians are here to serve all of your electrical needs efficiently and safety. We value our customers. If you need electrical work done, give us a call today!

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