The top DIY electrical botches carried out by homeowners have been highlighted by a new survey, highlighting the importance of employing a fully qualified electrician to do the work safely.
The study found that the top two responses were related to light fittings, with 41 per cent of electricians reporting that they were called out to fix poor handy work, and lighting circuits - 29 per cent.
In terms of light fittings, many electricians reported that householders attempted to use nails to mount light fittings, or caused the lighting in the house to stop working. Many of them also carried out poor DIY work which saw brass light fittings become live.
Incorrect or badly fitted light fitting, sockets or wiring can caused fires and are extremely dangerous to those living in the house – and neighbours.
According to the Electrical Safety Council, poor DIY was responsible for over half of serious electrical shocks. Some of the most common mistakes included attempting to repair an electrical appliance while it was still switched on, accidentally drilling through wiring in walls and cutting through power leads.
Scarily, one fifth of householders with no electrical training at all reported that they would “confidently attempt to install lighting in their home”, reported H&V News, while one tenth said that they would “happily install new wiring”.
A third of the electricians questioned by the ESC reported that they were now spending around a quarter of their work time fixing poor DIY jobs, adding that this had increased dramatically over the last five years.