Before you call - how to save money

Most electrical jobs are no-brainers; it’s obvious that you need a licensed electrician. But often electricians are called out when the problem is, in fact, quite minor and can be easily fixed yourself. Here are three of the most common that you can check yourself and perhaps help you spare the expense of a professional visit:

1 The power point won't work
Often it’s the appliance that’s creating the problem. Check the power point with a different electrical appliance such as a lamp. If it works, then you know it’s the appliance that needs replacing or repairing.

2. The electricity goes out when something is turned on, or the circuit keeps tripping
This can also often be caused by a faulty electrical appliance. The best solution is to unplug all of your appliances, then plug them in one by one. When you plug in the faulty appliance it will trip the safety switch and you will have identified the faulty appliance. If not you are probably overloading your circuits.

3 The light isn’t working
You’d be surprised how often electricians go out for what turns out to need no more than a bulb replaced. Check it before you call.

4. A fuse has blown
This is a simple operation. Here are some important things to remember:
- Turn off the power at the main switch
- Unplug all appliances on the circuit
- Flick the circuit switch back to on
- If you’ve still got an old wire system, once you’ve removed the fuse, you will see the wire attached by two small screws. Loosen the screws and disconnect the old wire then attach the new length of wire and tighten the two screws. Be sure that you are using the correct size fuse wire for the application. When you have attached the new wire, place the fuse back into its slot.

Aside from these, some of the jobs definitely need a licensed electrician…