using a licensed electrician vs and unlicensed one

I plan to have a mini split system with 2 units and one heat pump installed in the rented garden apt. of my historic row house. I am wondering how important it is to have the electrical portion of the work done by a licensed electrician? I wanted to have the Federal Pacific electrical panel in the apt. replaced at the same time even though I am not having any difficulties with it since I bought this house over 22 years ago. If rhe installation is done by someone experienced but not licenaeed and it works how likely is it that a problem will occur? And, what are the potential risks if there are problems? Thank you, MMvH

mmvh

in About Brooklyn 10 years and 4 months ago

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ihhsitbcjyvev | 10 years and 2 months ago

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Definitely you need to hire licensed one, whether the work is small or big. No license means no permit and no insurance. A license doesn’t guarantee that the work won’t be faulty, but an insured contractor will be more likely to be able to pay for the damage.

thetinkerswagon | 10 years and 4 months ago

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MP, the 220 is not really the danger here and really 220 is not much more dangerous than 120 (in Europe all houses are on 220). the danger with any electrical connections in a house is that some clown comes in who has not been properly trained will leave a connection loose and the connection will begin to arc and get hot and start a fire. in so far as the human safety/electrocution issue, you are right, I meet guys all the time who claim to be experts and they think the ground wire is an optional feature. of course a licensed electrician should be doing this job. you know, the op could hire someone who worked for an electrician and was told WHAT to do but not WHY he was doing it and the guy goes out on his own and somewhere along the way decides that since he does not own a house and does not have skin in the game, and no longer has a licensed boss over his head, why bother doing all of those “extras” he was told to do. like the experts who laugh at the ground wire, he only does what it takes to get the light to light and get paid and two years later someone gets hurt or dies. not his problem. He doesn’t own a house and can’t be sued. people on second ave who own houses and other assets are going to lose them including the landlord who knowingly hired an unlicensed person. they will go after everything and if the city doesn’t, the tenants and families of the victims will. Steve

Master Plvmber | 10 years and 4 months ago

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You’re talking about 220-volt electrical connections. The kind that can kill a person. My installers work with 24-volt and 120-volt electric all the time, but I’ve got a standing order in my shop that no one touches 220\. We bring in a licensed electrician, pay him, and never think about it again.

cate | 10 years and 4 months ago

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In my experience, using licensed people is cheaper in the long run (and even sometimes the short run). They work much more quickly, the work is done better and looks better, and of course you know it’s done correctly and to code. As for electricians, I certainly wouldn’t mess around with an unlicensed one. I’ve found them to be quite reasonable, too — less expensive then plumbers at any rate, lol!

Augustiner | 10 years and 4 months ago

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Congrats on being a homeowner for 22 years. What went wrong that you need to save a couple of dollars on an electrical job and risk it all? You considered that your fire insurance might not pay for an electrical fire caused by a faulty install?

thetinkerswagon | 10 years and 4 months ago

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I bet the people on second ave who used an unlicensed plumber to do gas work can tell you about risks. Steve

slopefarm | 10 years and 4 months ago

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    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

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