What Are The Duties Involved in Residential Electrical Work?
There are many different fields of specialization for an electrician. Although they generally have the same knowledge and training, some focus on residential electrical work. The job duties of a residential electrician are mainly for single-family and multi-family properties.
Residential dwellings need different fixtures and components from commercial property. Everything from installation to maintenance requires an electrician who is more familiar with the electrical requirements of residential units.
Around 51,000 home electrical fires are estimated to happen each year. This is why safe electrical installation is a must for housing units – whether they are single-family or multi-family complexes. Residential electrical work is thus important that homeowners must invest in choosing the right contractor or electrician for their homes.
1. Electrical Wiring and Fixtures
They will do the installation of electrical wiring and outlets, making sure that they are followed according to the wiring plan and are installed safely. Typically, they will align the electrical fixtures to make sure that it fits the design of the house.
For single-family homes, this will typically require a 100 Amp 3-wire service installation. There are also standard wiring methods that need to be followed when it comes to residential electrical activities. It’s a scope of work in residential electrical that deals specifically with how to install wiring and connect them to fixtures inside the housing unit.
2. Maintain Electrical Systems
Electrical systems inside housing units are another area of work for residential electricians. They will be maintaining them and replacing components as needed. It will depend on the design and structure of the single or multi-family housing unit.
The entirety of a single-family or multi-family unit includes an electric meter, subpanels, a service head, electrical boxes, and many other components. These are required to receive electricity from the main grid. From getting the power from the main source to the distribution, a residential electrician must know and understand how to keep the systems running. It’s part of the job of a residential electrician to know the proper maintenance of electrical systems inside a housing unit.
3. Plan and Read Electrical Layouts
Electrical plans and diagrams provide an electrician with a guide on where to install components. It’s a skill necessary to perform residential electrical work: being able to read and interpret electrical diagrams.
Diagrams are produced by a licensed electrical engineer who is responsible for designing the wiring and other electrical fixtures inside the house. Residential electrical work is involved in making sure that the plan is followed accordingly. Working on electrical plans means coordinating with the housing contractor. A residential electrician needs to establish where the wiring goes and if there are any special requests from the homeowner.
4. Use Testing Devices To Diagnose Problems
A crucial part of electrical maintenance is to diagnose problems. Homeowners need to ensure that the electrical fixtures inside their houses are not prone to any incidents like fire, electrocution, or other incidents. How do electricians do this? This is done by using testing devices to check for any problems in the electrical fixtures.
The various testing equipment involved in residential electrical work includes a multimeter, voltmeter, ohmmeter, cable tracers, and many other devices. These are handy to measure or inspect the housing circuitry. You will have peace of mind knowing that your electrical fixtures are working properly and will not cause any incidents like fires or electrocution.
5. Circuit Breaker Maintenance
The circuit breaker is an important part of a residential unit’s electrical system. Regular maintenance will help to spot problems early on. This is because circuit breakers can sometimes get damaged due to the excess volume of electricity.
Circuit breakers help direct sudden demands of electricity. It’s a critical function that protects the entire electrical system inside a housing property. The device prevents any electrical incidents from happening via its fuses. Thus, it’s one aspect of the job in residential electrical activity that will be covered.
6. Inspect Electrical Components
Inspection of electrical components will keep them functioning properly. It will be easier as well to see if they need a replacement. This includes the circuits, wiring, outlets, and other components that need regular inspection.
This scope of electrical work is necessary for residential properties to keep their components from becoming a hazard. Residential electricians will need to conduct regular inspections to check electrical components before any incident happens.
7. Repair Broken Fixtures
Wear and tear happen to electrical fixtures inside the house. Typically, this happens as electrical fixtures get damaged throughout using them. A residential electrician will be the one to do the fixing and replacing of components.
The most common are lighting fixtures, which need to be fixed once the wiring gets damaged. This is another area commonly dealt with in residential electrical work. The electrician will be in charge of making sure that the components function properly.
8. Low-Voltage Systems
Houses with low-voltage systems also need expertise in residential electrical work. These electrical systems require less than 100 volts, which residential electricians will be working on. A lot of electrical components inside housing units belong to the low-voltage classification.
Various electrical devices in residential properties are classified as low-voltage. Doorbells, thermostats, landscape lighting, and many other low-voltage fixtures are electrical components involved in residential electrical work.
9. Home Automation Systems
With the advancement of technology comes home automation systems. Installing and maintaining these home automation systems will need electricians who know how to install, fix, and maintain the sensitive components inside home automation systems.
Some of these home automation systems include electrical fixtures specifically designed to control room temperature. There are also sensors to detect motion for automatic lighting. Other automated audio-visual components are part of the electrical systems of a housing unit. Each of these fixtures needs residential electrical expertise.
10. Follow Local and National Building Regulations
State and local building regulations need to be followed. This is to adhere to safety when installing, repairing, or maintaining fire hazards like electrical fixtures. There are various electrical standards that electricians have to know and understand when doing their jobs.
Residential housing units are not exempt from policies on how to install electrical components safely. It’s an integral part of residential electrical work to know the electrical standards for the safety of homeowners and the community.
Interested in Becoming a Residential Electrician?
With over 214,580 residential electricians employed in the United States, you could be among those aspiring to join a career in the residential electrical sector. But, before you can become a duly licensed electrician, you need to undergo training first. This is to prepare you for the various job responsibilities in residential electrical work.
Residential electrical work has several scopes of work duties they need to be skilled at. To get started in a career in the residential electrical field, one must undergo an apprenticeship at an accredited training program.
Apprenticeship programs are available from reputable training institutions. Power Partner MN can connect you to electrical apprenticeship programs in Minnesota if you want to have a complete apprenticeship to become more adept in residential electrical work. These are the South Central Minnesota Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (SCM NJATC) and Minneapolis JATC (MPLS JATC).
Aside from the apprenticeship programs, you also have access to contractors that will help you get a step toward a career in residential electrical work.