Ever had a faulty appliance at home that you desperately tried to fix and replace by yourself? We’ve all been there.

While it might be tempting to go DIY, save on electrician costs, and repair electrical appliances by ourselves, it is always better to contact a licensed electrician to carry it out. This, of course, is not only because they’re more experienced that you are, but they also know how to conduct such electrical services safely.

Signs That Your Home Needs an Electrical Repair

Power Sockets or Electrical Outlets That Stopped Working

Bad wiring, a faulty appliance with a high wattage than the fitting, or short circuits usually cause power sockets and electrical outlets to stop working. Overheating and overloading on power sockets or electrical outlets are not uncommon, but they shouldn’t be happening frequently. Otherwise, it should immediately be fixed by a certified electrician as it might lead to certain home hazards.

Damaged Electrical Switches

Constant usage of electrical switches usually leads to wear-and-tear. While it is often unavoidable, it is important to get damaged electrical switches quickly repaired to prevent electric shocks when used.

Electrical Outlets That Spark When an Appliance is Plugged In

There are many reasons why a power socket might produce a spark. Short circuits, water exposure, age, and badly done repairs are just some of them. Make sure to get your power socket or electrical powerpoint installed by a professional electrician to avoid such potential dangers.

Frequent Tripping of Circuit Breakers

Circuit breakers trip whenever overloading occurs, which is when a circuit carries a much heavier electrical load that it can hold. As a result, power failure happens and this turns off electricity in the entire house.

Types of Electrical Repair & Replacement Works

At Daylight Electrician Singapore, we carry out high-quality electrical services including electrical repair and replacement at reasonable pricing.

Here are the different electrical repair and replacement services that we carry out:

• Ceiling Fan (only replacement service available) – With Singapore’s hot climate, having a fully functioning ceiling fan at home has become a necessity. However, there are times when ceiling fans require immediate fixing such as when you start noticing humming noise or when it starts to wobble. Such signs indicate that you need to contact a licensed electrician for a ceiling fan replacement in Singapore.
• Light / Lighting – Is your light fixture flickering or burning out quickly? These are just some of the signs that you need to get a light repair. Remember that home lighting repairs in Singapore should only be conducted by a professional electrician. This ensures that any future problems will be avoided, which then leads to fewer costs.
• Electrical Switches – As mentioned earlier, faulty electrical switches pose more hazards at home as we tend to use them more frequently. Below are the different electrical switch repairs and replacement that we do:
  • Light Switch Repair
  • Lamp Switch Repair
  • Water Heater Switch Repair
  • Power Socket / Electrical Outlet Repair
    
• Distribution board (DB) box – Are your circuit breakers tripping more often or do your lights suddenly dim when you turn on other appliances? Such problems may indicate that you need to get your distribution board (DB) box While you might be tempted to carry out DIY works because of circuit breaker repair costs, professional troubleshooting services should only be done by certified electricians in order to correctly identify the cause of the problem. Here are the different types of electrical replacement works that we do on distribution board (DB) box:
  • Circuit Breaker Repair
  • Fuse Box Repair
  • Circuit Breaker Panel Cover Replacement
  • Main Circuit Breaker (MCB) Replacement
  • Circuit Breaker Fuse Replacement
  • Fuse Box Replacement

Things to Consider When Planning Electrical Works in Singapore

Before you delve into any electrical works in Singapore, it is important to take note of certain considerations to avoid any future electrical problems.

Here are 3 things to consider when planning electrical works in Singapore:

Hiring an Electrician

• When hiring an electrician to carry out electrical works like repair, replacement, and installation, ensure that you make quality and professionalism as your top priority. While you can easily get a cheap electrician that will give you the lowest electrical costs and quotations, they might not be able to execute quality electrical work. As such, make sure that you hire an EMA licensed electrician in Singapore.

Divide Up the Project

• Not only are electrical works messy and costly, but they might also lead to certain disruptions in your daily activities. Let your electrician do a comprehensive assessment by listing all the electrical works needed to be done according to severity level and urgency. You can then request for a price list, which includes electrician fees. If the total costs happen to be more than your budget, work on the most critical issues first to ensure that your home or office is safe.

Do-It-Yourself

• While it is not advisable to carry out electrical works by yourself, there are exceptions when it comes to minor electrical repairs or replacements. Any small electrical work that does not require wires or any skilled work can be done by just following a few easy steps. However, make sure that you know exactly what you are doing as one error can easily lead to potential hazards. Otherwise, call an EMA licensed electrician to help you carry out the electrical work.

How to Replace a Light Fixture in Singapore

Our light fixtures at home may often unexpectedly shut off for some unknown reason. In this kind of situations, it is best to engage in the services of a licensed electrician – especially if you are unfamiliar with electrical work.

Check if your electrician follows these steps when carrying out a light fixture replacement:

Prepare the tools needed and switch off the power supply

First of all, prepare all the necessary tools and safety instruments needed for the replacement of light fixtures. Make sure that you have the following tools before you carry out work:

• Mounting hardware
• Wire cutters
• Voltage detector
• Short copper wires for joining
• Screwdriver
• Wire connectors
• Electricity tester
• Headlamps
• Before delving into any kind of light replacement or repair work, switch off the power supply from the main point of the building. This will always remain an important precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the electrician handling the task. However, the electrician also needs to know beforehand exactly which switch is directly linked to the specific light fixture to be replaced. It is better to mark that specific switch in order to correctly identify the electrical wirings connected to the power supply point.

Removing the old light fixture

• Remove the canopy that covers the assembly of wirings in your light fixture. Do this by removing the screws holding it together.
• A set of black, red, and green cables can be easily spotted after opening up the canopy. Unscrew all of these three main existing electric wires installed on your wall or ceiling. Make sure that these three wires are completely disconnected from old light fixtures before connecting it to the new one. But don’t fret, because a good electrician in Singapore is fully experienced in handling this procedure when replacing all electric fixtures.
• Remove the old light fixture from the ceiling or wall when the wires are fully disconnected.

Connect new wirings and install the new light fixture

• Make sure that the bracket or electrical box is tightly screwed onto the ceiling. Use a single baseplate as the mounting structure on the ceiling if needed. Some light fixtures types come with their own mounting base and in such cases, the electrician does not need to use his own metallic mounting bar for this purpose.
• Using new wire connectors, connect the electrical wirings of the new light fixture to the wires in the ceiling. The black wire of the new fixture is supposed to be connected to the existing black wire of the ceiling. On the other hand, the white cable should be connected to the existing white wire only. Wrap the copper or the green wire around the green screw on the mounting bar. Otherwise, you can also directly connect it to the copper wire of the ceiling.
  
• Fit the new light fixture to the ceiling. Some ceiling light fixtures may come with a chain, the length of which should be adjusted for perfect installation. Carefully hide the chain carefully inside the canopy. Securely fit the entire fixture by tightening the screws on it.
• Finally, test and make sure that the newly replaced light fixture is working. Do this by switching on the power supply to check if the light fixture is working well. Any loose connections between the black or white cables will prevent the light fixture from working properly.

Reasons Why You Should Avoid DIY Electrical Repairs

Have you ever attempted to carry out DIY electrical repairs, but unfortunately failed? Unless you’re a licensed electrician, then you should never try to delve into any kind of electrical work.

No matter how simple the instructions seem to be online, avoid doing DIY electrical repairs for these reasons:

Keep Yourself Safe

You should never take any risks when it comes to your safety. Avoid meddling with electrical repair work even when you think you have the most electrical knowledge than any of your family members or peers. Trying to solve electrical problems by yourself can potentially create unexpected fire hazards that can put your family members in danger. Being vaguely familiar with certain aspects of electrical work does not qualify you to fix complicated electrical problems.

Inspection Issues
The electrical components in your home are all supposed to pass inspection. If you happen to insist on doing a DIY electrical repair, you might overlook certain aspects that need to be thoroughly examined – leading to more complicated electrical problems in the future.

GFI implementation

For those who are unfamiliar, a GFI or a Ground Fault Interrupter is an outlet or a switch that has built-in sensors preventing users from getting electrical shocks from faulty electrical wirings. A GFI is mostly used in areas exposed to moisture such as bathrooms where electric shocks may typically happen. A GFI is considered to be one important component that a person without prior knowledge about electrical repair would probably not be aware of. As such, they may likely just install standard outlets that can lead to future problems and risk the safety of anyone near the electrical system.

Hidden Electrical Dangers

A typical homeowner might not be aware of electrical connections hidden in their house that can potentially pose electrical hazards. This increases the risk of danger especially when you try to carry out DIY electrical repairs. If you stay in a landed property, you should know that most electrical wiring is hidden in the attic, which are also likely hard to find. Hence, this place is considered the most dangerous area in any home – posing a serious threat to your safety.

Saving Costs in The Long Run

One common reason why people opt to do a DIY electrical repair is that they want to save costs, especially when it is considered a “simple” switch repair work. After all, there are often misconceptions that professional electrical services are expensive, which is not true. However, an electrical repair done wrongly can incur more costs in the long run.

Proper Troubleshooting

When faced with electrical problems, don’t think twice about calling a reliable and trusted electrician to the electrical repair work. These professionals are trained in troubleshooting almost all electrical issue possible. They have the expertise to correctly identify the root cause of any electrical problem. It would be good for your home in the long run.

Signs That You Need an Electrical Wiring Repair & Replacement

As we tend to use a variety of electrical appliances everyday, we often forget to check whether their wirings are still securely intact.

Don’t fret as we’re here to guide you through the different signs indicating a need for an electrical wiring repair and replacement:

Frayed Wires

Electrical wirings in your house are all subject to frays due to heat, age, corrosion, and general wear-and-tear. On the other hand, screws or nails are also likely to damage the wires with their sharp edges. More often than not, rodents also chew on electrical wires, which can lead to eventual damage. If you sense any kind of rodent activity, make sure to check each wiring in your house and look for potential frays. This damaged electrical wiring poses a serious threat to your safety as it can lead to further electrical problems. Hence, get a professional electrician to do an electrical rewiring immediately.

Excessive Heat Damage

Found any scorch marks or warm, burnt spots on your electrical switches or outlets? These might be signs of electrical wiring in Singapore that’s not properly done. Do take note that electrical switches and outlets should not be warm to touch, otherwise, it may indicate a case of overheating.

Tripping Circuit Breakers

Circuit breakers that frequently trip most likely indicate a case of overloading. Replace your electrical panel immediately if you sense any kind of damage on your circuit breaker or electrical wiring. To avoid such problems, always opt for a professional electrical wiring installation service, especially when you already need to re-install an electrical component or appliance.

Smoke

Notice a sign of smoke coming out from your electrical wiring, appliance, or power outlet?  Quickly turn them off. If you’re unable to locate the cause of the smoke, switch the main power supply or circuit breaker at home and call a certified electrician for help.

Dimming Lights

If your lighting installations tend to dim when you switch on some electrical outlets, then it is highly likely that your circuit or electrical wiring is overloaded. To ensure your safety, troubleshoot the issue by specifically inspecting both your circuit and electrical wiring. Better yet, call a professional electrician to ensure that your house wiring is working properly.

Loose Connections

Frequent usage of electrical appliances can eventually loosen up connections between electrical switches. With this, you should regularly check and ensure all switch plates and outlet covers are in good condition. This allows you to ensure that your electrical wiring is properly and effectively secured inside its container. If you detect any signs of broken, cracked, or missing plates, get those replaced at the earliest possible time or opt for an electrical rewiring service by a professional electrician.

Case Study

• Ceiling Fan Replacement Electrician Singapore HDB – Telok Blangah
• Light Switches & Light Bulbs Replacement Electrician Singapore Landed – Cashew Road
• Power Switches Replacement Electrician Singapore HDB – Commonwealth
• Office Light Replacement Electrician Singapore Commercial – Raffles City
• DB Box Switch Replacement Daylight Electrician Singapore HDB – Tampines

Choose Daylight Electrician Singapore

Need to do electrical repair and replacement works? At Daylight Electrician Singapore, we offer high-quality electrical services including an emergency electrician service. Our team of dedicated and reliable electrical workers is EMA/BCA/IDA certified with more than 10 years of experience. Browse our range of positive reviews and previous electrical works to see it for yourself!

Contact our friendly customer service staff now by calling us at +65 6909 9921 for a no-obligation consultation or sending us an email to enquiry@daylightelectrician.com.