Don’t Let Your Shorts Catch Fire

Electrical shorts are part of diagnosing any electrical circuit malfunction. It’s quite common to arrive at a customer’s house and find that some wire, motor, compressor, circuit board, or device is shorting out. In fact, I’ve serviced numerous homes where outlets were smoking and switches sizzling.

Increased electrical use in hot summer weather also increases the chance of tripping circuit breakers. Due to this, we can expect an increase of clients who call us because their outlet or switch will not work. Fortunately, we have the skills to fix almost everything associated with an electrical system.

Nevertheless, it’s important to be mindful of what may seem like a simple fix versus a permanent solution.

In my experience, once you repair something at a client’s home or business, you then hold responsibility for that item. In the customer’s mind, you become liable for any future breakdowns. They could wrongfully blame you if something breaks or if the circuit trips. For example, if a circuit shorts out because they plugged three space heaters into one circuit, this may be viewed as your fault. Or, if the light bulb blows on a circuit you previously repaired, this also could be blamed on you, even though you never touched it. What about the call you get about the freezer in the garage that held $400 worth of sushi-grade yellowfin tuna that spoiled because “your” outlet tripped?

These kind of customer complaints — even though not technically your fault — can ruin your reputation, cost you money, and destroy your business. To help mitigate the risk of receiving these complaints, why not focus on providing permanent solutions rather than quick patch jobs that may prove to bite you in the… well… “shorts?”

For some reason, we often think of shorts as quick sparks that ultimately trip the breaker, but how many times have you heard of houses burning to the ground due to “electrical malfunctions” or “faulty wiring?” With that said, we need to protect our clients and our companies from possible life-threatening hazards that could potentially begin with a simple short circuit. After all, not only are our reputations at stake, but also our clients’ wellbeing.

For ways to safeguard your company and clients from these hazards, consider the following seven tips:

1. Offer a permanent repair for every issue the client presents.

2. Make sure your invoice includes notes about the repair that are very detailed, and contain any possible hazards or code violations you have seen in the residence or business. Make note if the client declined any suggested work.

3. Offer safety items like smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, arc-fault breakers, grounding systems, GFCI protection, and higher-quality devices.

4. Provide clients with at least three options on every service call to ensure you have disclosed all important safety information to them.

5. Embrace the mind-set that if you touch the electrical system, you assume responsibility for the system.

6. Only use high-quality devices and switches, and consider using higher-quality wire connectors as well.

7. Check the load centers on every job to ensure proper operation of breakers and safety features, such as arc-fault breakers.

Scary problems — the kind that send your customers into an emotional tailspin — can arise when you least expect them. It’s our job as residential electrical service companies to provide the knowledge, expertise, and experience that bring peace of mind to our clients, and to help get their lives back to normal.    

Talbot is a licensed, master electrician in Georgia, where he was born and raised. He has been in the industry for 17 years and is currently the operations manager for Mister Sparky Atlanta, where he manages a team of technicians. In his spare time, he plays with his kids, volunteers, and is flipping his fourth house. He can be reached at [email protected].