“Unfortunately, from a safety standpoint, the electrical system is one of the few things in a home that can be installed completely wrong and still “work.” - Home Inspector William Kibbel III, from The Old House Web www.oldhouseweb.com

This month's column is about a rather touchy subject. Please read it with this in mind: Your life, your family's life, and your home are priceless. And, you also save money in the long run by having a job done correctly the first time!

Regardless of the plethora of self-help books and “do it yourself” instructions on the Internet, it is against the law for any person not licensed as an electrician to perform any type of electrical work in the state of Massachusetts. This includes installing outlets and fixtures.

Here is the major text of the law: General Laws of Massachusetts Part I. Chapter 141: Section 1A. No person, firm or corporation shall enter into, engage in, or work at the business or occupation of installing wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures, or other appliances for carrying or using electricity for light, heat, power, fire warning or security system purposes, unless such person, firm or corporation shall be licensed by the state examiners of electricians in accordance with this chapter and, with respect to security systems, unless such person, firm or corporation shall also be licensed by the commissioner of public safety in accordance with the provisions of sections fifty-seven to sixty-one, inclusive, of chapter one hundred and forty-seven.

Obviously, this law is not apt to be strictly enforced. Many people replace fixtures, outlets, and even do wiring in their homes, or hire unlicensed people to do this sort of work. And, maybe it gets done right some of the time. However, according to Home Inspector Tony Galeota, as reported by Mike Walker in the August Angie's List/Boston magazine, do-it yourself wiring is one of the most frequent problems he comes across.

And, if unlicensed work does cause a fire, there is another consideration beyond the initial tragedy: It is possible that if, after investigating the cause of a fire, your homeowners insurance company determines that is was due to improper electrical work, your claim could be rejected. As with the lack of law enforcement regarding unlicensed electrical work, this is currently a gray area, but the risk is there.

Another liability issue comes up if you hire an unlicensed person to do electrical work and improper installation causes damage to expensive equipment or part of your home's electrical system. Only licensed electricians have insurance that will cover damage from faulty electrical work.

Here is a scenario that took place just last week. A woman let her son, who is not an electrician, replace a switch and fixture. He blew up the circuit and she lost the lights in half of her home. Also, it appears that her son was “working live,” meaning that he could have gotten a serious shock. We fixed the mess, but if she had called a licensed electrician in the first place, it would have cost her less than the repairs and no one's safety would have been in jeopardy.

The bottom line: Electricity is dangerous and no joking matter. Please stay safe and always call a licensed electrician to do any electrical work in your home or business.

Breton Electric is an electrical service and contract company based in Wakefield MA. For additional safety tips, information about reducing energy costs, how to recycle mercury-containing bulbs, and more, see www.bretonelectric.comor call 781-245-0787.