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Well, the handyman thinks the lighting fixture itself is at fault. We’ll have have him replace the fixture and see if that works.
Handyman + fixture = still a lot cheaper than electrician
Have the handyman just change out the light fixture, simple enough. If it still doesn't work, you have electrical problems so then hire an electrician to check what's happening with that. Hiring a full blown electrician just to change a light fixture seems overkill. Any experienced handyman can do that. Note, I said experienced. Not some high school kid that usually mows the lawn.
Voltmeter? Has anyone put a voltmeter on the thing?
Otherwise you're just guessing. You can spend an awful lot of time guessing and changing parts. I wouldn't hire anyone to fix a mystery electrical problem that didn't start out doing actual diagnosis.
And if your handyman really understood electrical work, then he would have been a licensed electrician.
Not necessarily. In my area, the licensing test is really about how to look up stuff in the NEC book. A lot of the test material are things you never encounter doing residential work, such as feeder taps, etc.
Voltmeter? Has anyone put a voltmeter on the thing?
Otherwise you're just guessing. You can spend an awful lot of time guessing and changing parts. I wouldn't hire anyone to fix a mystery electrical problem that didn't start out doing actual diagnosis.
Exactly, voltmeter as opposed to trial & error and if the handyman doesn’t have or use one then you have a definitive answer to your question❗️
Normally I would say hire the professional - electricity is not something you want to mess around with. However, we had some malfunctioning lights and I called an electrician. He hooked up his voltmeter, said it had power and to just change the bulbs (we already did, twice). He said, electricity either works or it doesn't. Yeah right, I haven't used that company since.
I called a trusted handyman and he found the source of the problem at a junction box in the attic.
So, if you have a handyman you trust that knows his stuff when it comes to electrical, by all means try that first.
Normally I would say hire the professional - electricity is not something you want to mess around with. However, we had some malfunctioning lights and I called an electrician. He hooked up his voltmeter, said it had power and to just change the bulbs (we already did, twice). He said, electricity either works or it doesn't. Yeah right, I haven't used that company since.
I called a trusted handyman and he found the source of the problem at a junction box in the attic.
So, if you have a handyman you trust that knows his stuff when it comes to electrical, by all means try that first.
Yeah. I had a really bad experience a while back when I called an electrician (on the advice of my pool cleaning company). He came out and basically said: That’s not something I fix or not an electrical problem or it’s just the part that needs replacing and I don’t do that or something (I think I blacked out the details), then charged me $450 for the service call — for essentially doing nothing. (I eventually got the pool company to pay half the bill because they told me to call an electrician). Never again.
In addition to knowing a handyman who does quality electrical work, it also depends on how long you think the job will take since both types of contractors will charge minimums to come out and look at it. If you had other work to do around the house, I would opt for a qualified handyman. Four hours labor minimum for a handyman around her is around $270. Some of the ones I've dealt won't sneeze unless the jobs is at least $2000.
When you say a couple of lights....they are series together and they all do it at the same time the problem is between the first light and the breaker. If it’s series but only certain ones do it check the j box or the ballast
Probably a worn wall switch.
Loose neutral or hot at breaker, in to switch, out to lights from switch or first light. I just fixed a similar issue fir a neighbor. He had two breakers that the body physically was cracked. Every time a truck went by they rattled a little and the contacts inside spread and lost power.
He wanted me to tape them together cause he didn’t have the money to replace them. I put some new ones in I had as spares. I wasn’t about to do that.
I'm about as "handy" as they come, and rough electrical has always been one of my favorite" areas. Rough wired an entire lower level all by myself, multiple circuits, etc.
But there were certain things I wouldn't tinker with. Circuit boxes are one of them. Double switched lights are another (never could figure that out). I did find that the builder's electrician left some switches and plugs too loosely attached (so much for building inspectors).
Except for me, electricity is NOT a handyman thing, and most will admit it. Just bite the bullet and get an electrician. Do be careful though. Make sure he isn't pumping up the bill with unnecessary things. Electricians, in general, are not interested in doing a simple job - simply because the time he takes to drive there will not be worth it for an inexpensive little fix. Always be wary of an electrician driving a late model Ford F-250 or similar - he's looking for someone to help him make the mortgage payment on his $50,000 "mortgage on wheels." Real electricians drive around in a panel van. Just warning you.
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