Fire Hazards in Your Walls? Mike Holmes Exposes Deadly Electrical Mistakes | Mike Holmes Podcast

I get a lot of questions about electrical all the time. If I bought an older house how do I know if I have bad electrical? Can I do electrical work myself? How do I know if I need a panel upgrade? Do I need a permit to do electrical work? A lot of these questions can easily be answered by hiring the right professional. In this case, it’s a Licensed Electrical Contractor. They’ll be able to assess your current electric infrastructure, advise you on the electrical work that needs to be done to meet your needs and your home’s, and do the work safely. Electric work is not something you want to take a risk with, because if DIY electrical work is done incorrectly it can result in electric fires or fatal electric shocks. This can not only damage your property but it can endanger you and your loved ones as well.
In this podcast episode, I sit down with Electrical Safety Authority’s (ESA) (esasafe.com/) Emily Larose, Vice President of Regulatory and General Counsel and Trevor Tremblay, Technical Advisor. We discuss everything from electric permits, to the importance of hiring a Licensed Electrical Contractor and what to do if you fall victim to an unlicensed contractor. We also answer your questions that you’ve sent in and share a few electric fails along the way showing you what NOT to do. Don’t miss this episode.
For more behind-the-scenes content head to MakeItRight.ca/podcast-s3-ep4-diy-electrical/ (makeitright.ca...)
Listen to more episodes of the Holmes On Homes Podcast on all major streaming platforms including Spotify spoti.fi/442nUjX and Apple Podcasts apple.co/44kMi0E

[@notpoliticallycorrect4774]

The professional wiring on the new houses that Cy inspects is worse than any DIY'er would ever do. The problem is the fly by night professionals and the hacks that give a bad name to a whole industry.

[@KimAlbota]

I was listening to your pod cast "Fire Hazards in your walls". It was very informative. The one thing that really gets me is the use of non-approved devices, which is in the scope of various Federal Departments at time of import. One issue is the use of fraudulent approval labels by offshore manufacturers. Another issue is Approvals issued to an offshore company by specification, then the manufacturer changes the specification after approval to reduce the cost of manufacture. This has been seen in many recalls of products offered for resale by major chains. This is where more enforcement is required federally at time of import, and post import, with spot checks and testing, which will go a long way in assisting end users and the various provincial regulatory bodies. Unfortunately, testing of devices and products after approval is minimal, and recalls are only issued after an issue occurs in the consumer's domain, sometimes with tragic consequences

[@AlanTheBeast100]

I've been DIY electrical for decades. Careful work - no rush - no issues. Make a mistake? Start over. When I bought this house it was about 15 years old. I found numerous wiring errors from the original build in the breaker panel including 2 grounds that were not tightened at all; many were loose (which is possible after a number of years - but not the completely loose ones). I recently had a ground fault reported when I plugged a UPS into a circuit. Took a long time to find it, but an overhead light fixture had a ground not connected! Meaning all the plugs and lights downwind (so to speak) of that light box had no ground at all. Further, that circuit had about 2X the number of sockets and lights on it than was reasonable (all going to 2 bedrooms and a hallway - but also the overhead lighting). I have no practical way to solve this at present - though I could isolate a room and "arch over" via the attic, I suppose. Professionals, huh?

[@frankiebar]

I am a DIY'r. I've fixed professional jobs numerous times! I know my limitations. I started with swapping out switches and outlets and moved up from there. Whole remodel jobs, new panel, rec rooms, garages, etc... No problems ever!

[@naythin8354]

It’s definitely a diy you just gotta take the time to do it and more importantly respect the subject matter.

[@mkat740]

Not everyone is buying a EV now. Actually 60% of those who bought one said they will not buy another one ever again

[@bills6946]

Just because you do an electrical installation and it worked doesn’t mean it is code compliant. In the early 70’s, there was an article about a diy installation in a strip mall. The idiot cut holes through connecting stores fire walls above the ceiling to run a feeder to a store. He didn’t bother to seal the penetrations. A month later, the end store had a fire in the ceiling. The fire roared through every store because of the holes left. A fireman was seriously injured fighting the fire. The “wanna be electrician” was prosecuted and got 12 years in prison and civilly sued.

[@reedsawyer5704]

My rule of thumb is, if you don't know what you're doing, do NOT DIY on anything that can catch fire, explode, or leak. Hire a professional, a LICENSED professional.

[@naythin8354]

@@reedsawyer5704 or … you can do it yourself just take your time and once again for everyone in the cheap seats … respect the subject matter and you’ll be fine. Not everything is as complicated as some “make it seem”.

[@reedsawyer5704]

@@naythin8354 I am a huge believer in DIY, BUT, if you DON'T know what you're doing, you can kill people rather easily. I grew up with a hammer in my hand, helping my parents build houses, but I have worked at Lowe's, and had people come up and ask me questions about electrical wiring, and they have NO CLUE as to how to do things. I am not going to tell them how to do a complicated wiring procedure, where they will forget half of what I say within 5 seconds. If you don't know what you're doing, get a licensed professional. Your life depends on it.

[@naythin8354]

@@reedsawyer5704 sure what your saying makes sense … my point was anyone can literally do anything it’s a matter of learning and not disrespecting the subject matter … that’s what causes the issues and even death the person has to be willing to “LEARN”

[@karenstein8261]

Respect the trades. A journeyman (of any trade) spends as much time (3-5 years) and as much money (tools, rather than tuition) mastering his trade as anyone with a college degree. Tradesmen are SKILLED, not just monkeys with tool belts. You don’t learn a trade by reading a book! It’s not just labor; any job calls for a series of judgement calls and design choices. That’s the stuff you can’t just “figure out yourself.” Older home? Not only have our lives changed dramatically since the house was built, the house itself has been through many changes. What was once a tiny cabin is now a 1300 square foot, 3-bedroom house, with a garage, patio, and backyard shed. The changes mean the old meter is not only too small, buy it needs to be located somewhere else. It’s not just a “panel swap.” The simple fact is that the vast majority of the residential work I’ve done has been the result of some well-meaning amateur working beyond his wisdom.

[@naythin8354]

@@karenstein8261 I can guarantee you it’s not difficult at all … at 18 19 I was being left on jobs alone running wire to panels for entire school addons and I even got hushed when I called out a flaw and well because the “wisdom” on the job did what they wanted the whole job got shut down and well … if only they had listened to the 18 / 19 year old …

[@atw9913]

To be upfront I did not and am not going to listen to this podcast. Maybe you should also do a podcast on how franchise electricians exist to rip off consumers and scam them with either bogus or overpriced work. Looking at you Mr. Sparky. Not even going to listen to an hour of what is probably crap because I have worked around electricians long enough to know that the vast majority of "Professional" whatever, (electrician, plumber, carpenter, mechanic) are just plain incompetent. The fallacy of believing that paying a person for a job makes them qualified is just laughable. You know what would get me to listen. If the title was "When electrical is not a DIY Job" Don't use fear to bring in an audience or basically alienate at least half your audience by insulting them with a statement they know is false.