The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Do I call an electrician?
Casually Hardcore
Once an Asshole. Trying to be better.Registered User regular
Once an Asshole. Trying to be better.Registered User regular
My handyman juices is starting to flow and I'm getting the urge to do something I've been meaning to do. Finishing my garage.
Right now I'm just picturing what I want to do to the garage and lighting is something that I want to address. Basically I want some ceiling mounted fluorescent fixtures. to give me uniform lighting whenever I'm working on my cars. As of now, there's no electrical wires in the garage outside of a outlet on the ceiling for the garage door.
Now, I consider myself a pretty handy guy. I've replace light fixtures and stuff before and I can read a DC circuit diagram and whatnot. I'm sure I can grab some books and learn how to do this, but something in the back of my head tells me that this is a job of a certified electrician.
So, guys, is this something I can learn to DIY or is this a job for the pros?
Right now I'm just picturing what I want to do to the garage and lighting is something that I want to address. Basically I want some ceiling mounted fluorescent fixtures. to give me uniform lighting whenever I'm working on my cars. As of now, there's no electrical wires in the garage outside of a outlet on the ceiling for the garage door.
Now, I consider myself a pretty handy guy. I've replace light fixtures and stuff before and I can read a DC circuit diagram and whatnot. I'm sure I can grab some books and learn how to do this, but something in the back of my head tells me that this is a job of a certified electrician.
So, guys, is this something I can learn to DIY or is this a job for the pros?
0
Posts
Should you do it? Maybe.
What you want to do is really simple in terms of home electrical jobs. Slightly harder than replacing a busted fuse, but easier than adding an expansion box.
Doing this might only cost you a few hundred to have an electrician do it, depending on how accessible your electrical is. And it be worth the piece of mind. You could probably hook into the outlet in series, but only an electrician can really tell you boo. If the panel is in the garage and you could run a new circuit, that'd probably be worth attempting by yourself.
But fuck you — no, fuck y'all, that's as blunt as it gets"
- Kendrick Lamar, "The Blacker the Berry"
Hire a fisherman and you'll eat for a day......
But yeah, I guess I should hire and electrician and get it done right. It can't cost that much, right?
Compared to a plumber...
I'd honestly consider the cost of an electrician not just as fee to stay out of the path of something so dangerous but also insurance in case something does get fucked up and it's not your fault.
That what I currently am doing right now. But since I spend a fair amount of time in my garage, I kind of want to make it more comfortable.
If the breaker box is in the garage, easily accessible, and the garage wiring isn't attached to a bunch of other stuff in the house... then you might be able to do it yourself without too much of a problem.
But at the end of the day, I'd basically ask yourself this.
Is this something you want to know how to do, and will put to use again?
Or is this a one time thing you will probably never do again in your life, or at least a good number of years?
If it's a one time thing, the garage wiring looks messy, or you just don't feel comfortable... just get an electrician to do it.
You can buy hanging lights that plug into a standard socket. I used those setting up work benches.