Electrician’s Must Haves To Ensure Quality
Wire Stripper – Instead of chancing it with cabling knives and linesman pliers that can potentially nick into wires, strip wires correctly, the first time around, with a gauged wire stripper. This tool has graduated holes along the length of its jaws, which you match to the particular size wire you’ll be stripping. Because of their carefully-sized stripping notches, wire strippers are able to remove insulation without damaging the conductor beneath, so your job will have a far better chance of meeting code without you wasting time and money to repeatedly trim down and re-strip the electrical wire until you get it right. A certified Houston electrician might be the way to go.
Insulated Screwdrivers – One insulated screwdriver is good, but a whole set is even better – it’ll take you through everything from wall plate installation and removal to mounting outlet boxes and light fixtures. Insulated screwdrivers give you an extra measure of protection should your screwdriver slip and accidentally make contact with an energized circuit or component. Dielectric handles and blade coating give insulated screwdrivers the power to buffer your body against direct contact with up to 1000V – you might still feel a “bite,” but at least you won’t be electrocuted. A certified Houston electrician will ensure your work is done right.
Voltage Sniffer – Even if you’ve already shut things off at the breaker box, it’s always a good idea to double check that a circuit isn’t live before beginning work on it. Receptacle testers can be helpful, but if a receptacle or the wires leading to it are damaged, this type of tester can sometimes give you a false negative, even if there’s still electricity present. That’s why we recommend carrying a non-contact voltage sniffer as well. Even though voltage sniffers don’t need to make physical contact with wires or outlet prongs, they still have the ability to detect the presence of live power – and best of all, they’re cheap and take up practically no room in your work bag. To ensure quality, consult a quality Houston Electrician and save the headaches.
Hole Saw – The drywall saw that you use to make cutouts for cable pulls and outlet boxes is great, but when it comes to more specialized jobs like recessed lighting and hanging light fixtures, you’re going to need a way to make neat, round cuts fast – and that’s why you’ve got to have a hole saw. Generally sold in kits containing circular blades of different sizes, hole saws are more like power drill accessories than separate tools, but they let you do precision work in a hurry – and that’s what counts. Consult a Houston Electrician first.
Protective Eyewear – When you’re an electrician, protective eyewear isn’t an option. Between the risk of flying sparks and the drywall dust and other debris that can rain down on you from a hole saw, there are plenty of chances to end up with foreign objects and particulate in your eyes. Last time we checked, it was pretty tough to do electrical work with damaged vision, so protect your eyes from the get go – they’re the only ones you’ve got. Make it easy and use a certified electrician in Houston.
Side-Cutting Pliers – Side-Cutting pliers are one of the most popular and reached-for electricians’ tools out there, thanks to their simple versatility. Featuring cutting blades that make quick work of snipping through wire and cable, as well as knurled jaws that deliver excellent grip when you need to pull cable through walls, the only way that these multi-taskers can get any better is if they have insulated handles, which will give you a little extra protection from nasty electrical shocks. There are Houston electricians in the area to assist you in your projects.