Mister Sparky loves St. Patrick’s Day but despises marlarky! A mess of wires, light switches that don’t work, faulty outlets –that’s nonsense or what we call malarkey – especially if you’ve gone ahead and done it yourself.

One of our biggest suggestions to homeowners is: Do NOT Do-It-Yourself (DIY). Electricity can be tricky and dangerous, so it’s important to turn to the experts for help.

While it’s a lot of fun to play around on Pinterest or feng-shui the living room (again), there are some DIYs that you should avoid. When it comes electrical wiring, you should NOT do it yourself and instead leave it to the professionals.

We can’t fault people for being ambitious, but some of the biggest mishaps come from, what we may think, are easy, simple jobs. Homemakers sometimes make the mistake of trying to install switches and outlets or replacing breakers that keep tripping.

“Electricity is dangerous and could cause extreme issues in a home or business if not done properly. Especially in today’s world with electronics and technology, you can really damage sensitive electronics if you are not knowledgeable of electrical systems,” longtime Mister Sparky owner (Charlotte, NC) Rusty Wise.

Wiring for new additions to the home, adding circuits and switches and replacing breakers are definitely not DIY tasks. Today’s breakers are specially designed for specific areas of the home and installing the wrong type could be catastrophic. “Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) and Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCI) are life safety breakers and they are called that for a reason. Basically, all electrical work should be performed by licensed electricians,” said Wise. (For more information on breakers, click here.)

So, it is extremely important that we don’t do it ourselves. When you fool around with electricity – and you don’t know what you’re doing – you’re bound to conjure up some “marlarky.” If that be the case, you know what to do – call Mister Sparky!