Electrician - Do I really need an Electrician?

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Electrician - Do I really need an Electrician?   

Today we had a somewhat common problem where a customer’s arc fault breaker was tripping. The ability to troubleshoot this problem can be quite pain staking and difficult and truly requires the expertise of an electrician. Here’s why…  

We found the problem in a ceiling fixture where one of the wires was slightly cut and as it heated up it would come in contact with an adjacent wire thus causing the arc fault breaker to trip. When troubleshooting these types of problems it's not uncommon to pull all the wiring out of the walls and inspect every receptacle, every wall switch, every smoke detector, and all light fixtures. Why? It's the right thing to do!

If I have an arc fault breaker tripping then most of the time it's for a reason and that reason may not be so obvious. I want to be positive I've solved the problem and that there are no other problems on that circuit. If a wire can be cut in one fixture then it can be cut in another fixture too. How do I know that? From experience of course, sometimes electricians when stripping their wire will cut to deep into the sheath of teh wire and it will cut or knick the wire. If he did something like that on one wire than the possibility is highly likely on other wiring as well. Could I make a band-aid repair and just fix the first one I see? Sure, but that the wrong thing to do. You want an electrician who will evaluate the entire circuit not just a breaker or the first sign of a problem and stop there. Evaluating the entire circuit will save you time, money, and frustration down the road and more importantly ensure your circuit and home is completely safe.  

Would a homeowner, handyman, friend, or relative perform this type of diagnosis and thoroughness that you and your home desperately deserve? Truth be told...No

It’s kinda like saying me being an electrician that because I know quite a bit about heating and air-conditioning that I could install my own system. I probably could install it and maybe make it work but would it be installed the way a professional would install it?, Would it be as safe?, Would it be as energy efficient?, Would it last as long? Again the answer is No to all the above. I might have saved money up front but I would cost myself a whole lot more in the end with the system not running the way it should, not being as efficient, not lasting as long, not being as safe, etc… Don't underestimate the real value of using a professional, it will pay for itself every time even though you may not realize it!