If you're building or renovating, sooner or later you'll need to hire someone to perform your electrical installation and, although it powers most of our daily interactions, you probably don't give electricity too much thought. So pull out those shades. It's time to shed some light on five fab things you didn't know about your electrician.
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Working with electricity is dangerous, and electrical contractors train hard to ensure they're safe at work, and that their work is safe. In fact, Master Electricians complete not only their apprenticeship but an additional three years in the workplace before undergoing vetting for admission, falling only a year short of the training given to your local GP.
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Electricians specialise. Like many other highly trained professionals, your electrical contractor may focus on electrical engineering, maintenance, or a combination of the two, and handle jobs in outdoor, industrial, commercial or residential settings. Specialisation is important because electricians perform such a wide range of tasks, from reading blueprints and schematics to rewiring older properties and performing fresh installations. To do this they need to excel in problem solving, and remain cool under pressure.
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If you're colour blind, you can forget a career in electricity. The stringent safety requirements of the trade demand that all electricians can decipher colour-coded wiring. Without the ability to see the full spectrum of colours a sparkie risks making a mistake that could prove fatal for themselves or their clients.
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Sparkies dress for success, sporting all manner of tools to do the job, duds closely fitted enough to avoid dangerous entanglements and boots that help them climb across wet areas and squeeze through tight spaces.
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The electricians' roll of honour includes some very famous names. If you think hiring Mr Bean to do your electrical installation is a terrible idea, think again. British actor Rowan Atkinson is well equipped, having earned his Masters in Electrical Engineering from The Queen's College, Oxford. Many other stars began their studies but never made it across the line, including the Beatles' George Harrison, film director extraordinaire, Alfred Hitchcock and, most notably, Elvis Presley. Having failed his exams it's no wonder The King was All Shook Up.
We don't give them a lot of thought, but electrical contractors keep us comfortable, warm and shed light on many a difficult situation. So, when you're planning your electrical installation, here's a bright idea… give the job to someone who really knows watt's watt.
