What Does An Electrician Do? Benefits Of Working With A Pro

What Does An Electrician Do?

Electricity is the backbone of everyday life at home or work. You need it to access the internet, communicate, microwave your meals, clean around your home, watch television, and more. With electricity, everyday routines are faster. The reliance on electricity makes it difficult to adjust during a power outage or live off the grid.

Fortunately, you don’t have to rack your brain to figure out adjustments that affect your comfort. A skilled electrician restores your power so you can do what you love most.

When not dealing with a power outage, electricians are constantly at work troubleshooting electrical problems, rewiring fixtures or equipment, inspecting electrical components for safety, installing wiring and lighting, and assessing your home or office needs to provide a free electrical estimate.

What does an electrician do? Important skills and roles

It’s hard to understand a profession you don’t practice. With so many careers out there, you may wonder, “What does an electrician do?” While other people choose to simplify the work of an electrician as fixing electrical faults and installing wiring, being an electrician is a vocation best understood by its practitioners.

It is a highly-skilled job requiring hands-on experience in the field. Electricians are more than modern superheroes of electricity. They work around the clock and possess valuable qualities to ensure safety from electrical dangers. One of the most critical qualities of a skilled electrician is color vision.

On most days, electricians deal with seemingly endless cable and wire lengths. Each of these has insulation of different colors and markings. The colors and markings help electricians identify the correct wire for whichever purpose they address in your space. Making the wrong connection can fatally affect your life and those around you.

There are four main aspects of an electrician’s daily life. They are:

Specialized electrical tasks

Most of an electrician’s work revolves around installing various electrical components. To do this effectively, an electrician has to test conductivity to ensure that installed systems operate safely. In conjunction with utility companies, electricians maintain power lines by cutting down trees and clearing anything that affects electric flow.

An electrician’s specialized tasks allow them to choose their area of work between industrial or commercial settings and residential properties. The tasks include:

• Diagnosing electrical faults: An electrician reads diagrams and blueprints to identify and resolve issues. 
• Repair and installation: Electricians are responsible for all repair and installation of electrical wiring and other conductive elements in a building. 
• Testing and inspecting: An electrician will regularly test and inspect electrical work to ensure safe installation and compliance.
• Identifying and mitigating hazards: Wrong electrical work has dire effects. Electricians look out for safety hazards and code violations.

Are They Qualified?

Electrician qualification requirements differ from state to state. Therefore, start by finding out the rules and regulations in your area. However, electricians typically require formal education, on-the-job training, and apprenticeship before heading out independently.

Additional electrician qualifications include keeping up with current technology, building codes, and safety protocols. So, when choosing a qualified electrician, look out for the following:

• Formal training in a college or vocational school (in an electrical course)
• Relevant work experience
• Must have valid permits and licenses as required by the local municipality
• Has personal liability insurance and worker’s compensation

Administrative duties

Contrary to what you may think, electricians don’t spend their days on ladders in overalls. They also deal with administrative duties ranging from job allocation, scheduling, coordinating repair and installation appointments, filing paperwork, recording transactions and projects, and maintaining updated client profiles. Other administrative duties are:

• Marketing: Every self-employed electrician will at one point market their services. On the other hand, big electrical companies have to coordinate with an in-house or freelance marketer to ensure their objectives are on track. 
• Organizing: An electrician has to maintain impeccable records of blueprints and diagrams. They also manage budgets, project funds, and other resources.
• Communication: Whether to clients, suppliers, or colleagues, electricians keep in touch with relevant people throughout their careers. 
• Onboarding: Like any other worker, electricians need help too. They will train helpers and apprentice electricians on their workflow and ethics while on duty. A self-employed electrician also conducts employee evaluations and develops training programs.

Collaborative Projects

Electricians work with other colleagues and professionals to complete critical jobs. Collaborative tasks in their careers include:

• Design and development: Electricians design and develop plans, diagrams, and blueprints for new electrical installation projects. They work with electrical engineers and building contractors to execute the project.
• Other enforcement agencies: An electrician needs to communicate with code enforcement agencies and regulatory authorities during inspections and evaluations of electrical systems and components. The collaboration ensures everything goes well in their projects.

Customer Service

Electricians communicate with clients to discuss project details and update them on the progress. Other customer service tasks are:

• Addressing customer issues: Every electrician maintains their work line by addressing customer concerns before or after working for them. Electricians also provide clarification about products and services to potential clients who call. 
• Maintaining customer relationships: Electricians maintain cordial relations with all clients. They also call to schedule repairs or discuss fees and contractual work conditions. 

Top 5 benefits of hiring an electrician

In every project, having the right experience, skill, and equipment determines the outcome. While a general contractor can take care of numerous household tasks, a certified electrician in Maplewood, NJ, will handle your electrical needs better.

The following are the benefits of working with an electrician:

Job done right 

A certified electrician is more than capable of handling basic tasks with expert care. They have mastered their craft and guarantee a job well done the first time. With an electrician, you will avoid do-overs and mess-ups by unqualified technicians and save money. An electrician will recommend any changes or modifications needed in case of an addition or expansion of your home to ensure energy efficiency and a low carbon footprint.

High-quality products 

The education and skill of a qualified electrician will inform every decision they make when working on your project. They will use high-quality products and suitable equipment to ensure safety for you and your property.

Access to the best services 

Before an electrician is certified, they demonstrate mastery over planning, electrical design, and heavy-duty installations. Hiring an electrician for your home or commercial space guarantees you’ll get the best services. Whether you’re rewiring or looking to finish up on a new building, investing in an electrician’s services is the right choice.

Insured labor 

When you hire an electrician, you pay for insured services. Certified electricians will insure their projects to protect their clients and workers. Having insurance mitigates the risk of incurring losses in case of an accident or mistake.

Saving money 

A trained electrician knows the tools and supplies required for a project. They also understand where and how to access the wiring involved in their work. Electricians help you avoid extra costs by giving you a correct estimate and using minimally invasive methods when working.

Education needed for an electrician in New Jersey

There are several prerequisites to becoming an electrician in New Jersey. Firstly, you need a high school diploma or GED. The qualifications give you a foundation in physics, math, and communication, which are necessary to begin your electrician training. Secondly, you should possess a U. S identification and be 18 years and above.

Other necessary steps are:

Become an apprentice electrician 

You can do this by completing lab-based classroom training and gaining the necessary experience under the supervision of a qualified journeyman electrician.

Apply to be a journeyman electrician 

A journeyman electrician in New Jersey fulfills a minimum of 576 hours of classroom training and 8,000 hours of documented experience. You should accomplish 4,000 of these hours over five years. You should also complete and mail an application for a certificate of registration to practice as a qualified journeyman electrician.

Apply for the electrical contractor license

To apply for this license, you must be 21 years and above, complete and pass an exam, and have five years of working experience.

Take the electrical contractor licensing exam

To pass this exam, you should complete the 150 questions covering a wide range of topics and achieve 70% or higher.

Whether you’re looking for an electrical supply or power backup installation, inspection, or service, Toth Electric has got you covered. Over and above providing these services, the company offers different financing options so you can start enjoying your electrical installations now and pay later.