Avoid These 4 Common Wiring Mistakes—Hire an Expert Electrician

Electrical work is complicated. Why risk a dangerous mistake when you can hire an expert from US Comfort?

Are you remodeling your home, adding a room, or building a new garage or outbuilding? Think twice before you do your own electrical work. Electrical codes and best practices for wiring are complicated and ever-evolving, so it is very difficult for a do-it-yourselfer or even a professional carpenter to keep everything straight. To ensure your new wiring is done correctly, you absolutely need an expert electrician on the job.

At US Comfort, we employ highly experienced electricians who have dedicated their lives to learning everything there is to know about electrical work. We can make sure your wiring is up to the requirements of national and local electrical codes and protect you from the risks associated with these 4 common wiring mistakes made by general contractors and do-it-yourselfers.

Letting Wires Get Punctured By Nails or Screws

When running wires through or near framing, it is essential to maintain a 1.25 inch clearance from the edge of a stud. This protects against the possibility of an errant nail or drywall screw puncturing the sheathing of Romex wire, which would leave a hidden fire hazard inside your walls. An experienced electrician will always leave adequate clearance or else add steel nail plates to protect the wires.

Mixing Wires

Low voltage phone, cable, thermostat, and other communication wires should not be run sandwiched together with 120v electrical wires. When the two types of wires are run together, you risk several problems. First, the proximity may generate interference that will detract from performance of phone, computers, and TVS. Secondly, you have the risk of a 120v line getting crossed with a communication line. If this happens, the higher voltage can not only ruin the systems attached to the communication line but also potentially cause a fire. Low voltage and 120v wires should always be run with at least 6 inches of separation between them.

Crowding Holes

It is often necessary to drill holes in floor joists in order to run wiring back to the panel. It is very important not to try to run all your wires through one set of holes. First of all, you might have to make the hole so big that the structural integrity of the joists would be compromised. Secondly, you risk stuffing the wires so tight that they become damaged by friction as you pull the bundle through the holes, which would result in a fire hazard. An experienced electrician will understand the rules for the number of wires that may be run through a hole and the size of hole that may be drilled in structural wood.

Not Using a Splice Box

One final mistake that DIYers may make is wiring a new fixture into an old wire without adding a splice box. Because the safe operating temperatures for new fixtures and old wiring installed before 1987 are not compatible, running the fixture straight into the wire can create a fire hazard. Experienced electricians know that a splice box is necessary to protect against this possibility and will be sure to install it correctly.