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What you may do yourself at home with electricity

Right knowledge and precautions are important when working with electricity. Most electrical work must be performed by a qualified electrician, however you can carry out some basic work yourself, if you have knowledge of how to do this. As the owner or occupant of a property, you are responsible that the electricity is installed properly and that the electrical appliances you use are in full working order and used correctly.

Take no risks when you do electrical work yourself

If you are unsure, you should leave the job to a qualified electrician. Incorrect use of electricity can result in fire and injury/damage. Never take a chance, a single mistake can have fatal consequences.

Turn off the power before starting

Irrespective of the type of electrical work that you're doing, you should always start by turning off the power. Remove the plug if it is an appliance you intend to work on. If the electrical work concerns parts of the fixed installation such as ceiling luminaires, wall sockets or switches, you should remove the fuses or turn off the main circuit breaker.

Check that the power really is off and that the equipment you intend to work on is de-energised before you start. Also, make sure that nobody can turn the power on while you are working.

Electrical work you may do yourself

• Replace blown fuses and reset tripped miniature circuit breakers

If the fuse blows again there is a fault that must be rectified. Contact an electrician if you are not able to find the error. Blown fuses must be discarded - never try to repair them.

• Replace light sources

Make sure that the new light source does not have more power than that indicated on the luminaire, for example: “Max. 10 W”. Also exercise care to follow other instructions set out on the luminaire. It is especially important when it comes to the use of top reflector bulbs and halogen lamps.

• Installation of extension cords

If you put together an extension cord to be used in an earthed power outlet, all parts of the extension cord must be in earthed design. Do not forget to check the green-yellow protective conductor to ensure it is secured correctly in the right place. It may never be connected to any other terminal screw than those with an earth symbol.

• Repair and replace parts in broken extension cords and appliance cords

If the cord is broken or if the insulation is damaged, do not fix it. However, you can cut off the broken part. You may only replace the cord, plugs and connectors with the same kind of material as before. (If you need to change the plug on a lamp with one of a different kind or on appliances, they should be left with an expert for conversion.)

• Changing permanently installed switches and wall sockets (max. 16 A)

Be careful. Disconnect the power either by unscrewing the fuse or by turning off the main circuit breaker. Make sure there is no voltage in the switch or socket before you start to work.

• Replacing luminaires in dry non-combustible areas inside a home

What you may do yourself in these areas in a home, provided that you have knowledge concerning this, is to replace a permanently connected luminaire or to permanently connect a luminaire where power lines have been routed. Otherwise, you need to contact a qualified electrician.

Examples of work that must be performed by a qualified electrician

• Installing fixed installations
• Installation of floor heating and heating cables
• Replacement of ungrounded wall sockets against earthed
• Laying the cable in the ground