Month: February 2021

Are you thinking about becoming an electrician but don’t know what the job entails? At the end of this post, you should have adequate information about this profession. Many people assume an electrician mainly repairs faulty wiring systems at home and commercial buildings.  

This is only a vague understanding of what the job entails. There’s a considerable variation in the paths licensed electricians can take depending on their specializations. 

What is an Electrician? 

An electrician is a person who installs and maintains electrical wiring systems in residential homes, commercial buildings, and industrial machinery. The professionals go through rigorous training before becoming master electricians. 

The first step involves enrolling for an apprenticeship program that requires a high school diploma to apply. The program lasts three to six years under a licensed electrician. Upon completion, you’re required to take a test to become a journeyman electrician where you receive a license from the state, local, or federal licensing group.  

The certification allows you to work without supervision and gives you credentials to train new apprentices. If you want to pursue a higher level, you’d need to apply for the master electrician certification. This certification’s requirements vary from one state to another, but the primary standard is to work for 4000 hours as a journeyman and do a licensing examination.  

Once you’ve acquired all or either of the three certifications, you can pursue the following professions: 

• Linemen (outside electricians): They’re also called line electrical workers and mainly work outdoors installing distribution and electric utility transmission systems at high voltages. Linemen also ensure the electricity produced at power plants is transmitted to power stations 
   
• Wiremen (Indoor electricians): These electricians work with low voltage electrical systems usually located inside buildings. Wiremen install, maintain, and repair electrical systems in commercial, residential, and industrial buildings
   

Apart from these two broad categories, we can further break down an electrician’s profession based on the type of work they do: 

• Installation 

• Maintenance 
• Repair 

Installation 

Electricians perform a multitude of electrical installations in diverse industries, including residential, automotive, marine, to mention a few. We look at the different types of installations electricians can do. 

1. Residential Installations
    

The electrician specializes in installing electrical systems in residential homes. Contractors engage them when building houses to connect power lines that transmit electricity to the house and install wiring systems. Homeowners also engage residential installers to repair and maintain electrical systems. 

2. Commercial Installations 

This kind of installation is similar to residential electrical installation, only that the electrician works on large buildings, including shopping malls, factories, office buildings, and more. The professional may also be required to assist in designing and planning the building’s electrical systems during construction and analyzing local electrical codes and public safety concerns. 

3. Car Installations
    

Automobiles have a range of electrical features that ensure a vehicle works correctly. Installation of such systems requires a person familiar with a car’s electrical wiring, including sound, maritime, and alarm systems. The electrician also installs the numerous wires sitting beneath a car’s dashboards. 

4. Boat Installations
    

Boats use electrical wiring systems to operate. Larger boats particularly need a fully-fledged electrical system to support the fully-equipped kitchens, bathrooms, lounges, and lighting. Licensed electricians are engaged in such installation projects. They work together with engineers to configure electrical devices and systems in the right places. 

5. Power Line Installations
    

Electricians performing this kind of installation ensure power is distributed to homes, buildings, and other areas. Some deal with installing high-voltage power lines that supply power to the national grid supplying electricity to millions of people. Other electricians deal with low-voltage power lines for powering traffic lights and street lights. 

6. Industrial Installation
    

This type of electrician works on manufacturing complex machinery in manufacturing and industrial settings. Some technicians work on lighting and security systems, while others are tasked with installing, repairing, and troubleshooting electrical equipment in factories, power plants, mines, and processing plants. 

Maintenance 

Electrical maintenance is a critical part of residential, commercial, and industrial electrical systems. The professionals perform scheduled maintenance on electrical systems, and since the equipment is bound to wear out, the professional performs repairs on the systems as part of maintenance. Maintenance work can be either residential, commercial or industrial but more commonly is residential if fixing safety switches, smoke alarms, light fittings etc.  

If you’re getting an electrician out to your place for some work, it’s best to get someone that is trusted and has the experience too. For a Gold Coast based electrician that has a reputation for being “the best electrician on the Gold Coast” Cypress Electrical are the people to call. For more information and for details to reach …

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