More than fire, electricity and the ability to harness it is one of mankind’s greatest achievements. Just think about how your life would be without electricity in your home. No lights, no TV, and most of your appliances would be useless. Though, electricity is far from a given. Your home is equipped with an intricate electrical system, a system that sometimes fails in certain areas.

One of these areas is the basic household electrical outlet. They can crack, wires can come loose, or they can just fail. If you need an outlet replaced, do you need to call an electrician or can you do it yourself? Let’s go over the topic.

Yes and No

The answer really is yes and no. Sometimes you might be able to do this job yourself, and at other times you may need to call in the pros. Here are some reasons why that is.

It Depends on the Outlet

We said “yes” and “no” above because it really does depend on a few factors, the first of which is the type of outlet. Not everything’s a basic outlet for your lamp or TV. You also have bigger outlets that are used for larger appliances like ranges and clothes dryers, so you might find that you need an outlet changed that’s a bit beyond your skillset. This is where a qualified electrician can come in and make short work out of changing your outlets. It’s what they get paid to do.

It Depends on Your Skill

In all honesty, it depends on your skill level. Some people out there don’t do well at all, holding screwdrivers and getting at small screws in tight spaces. You might see someone on a video perform this task and think it’s very easy, only to find that you keep missing the threads of the screw and can’t keep the wires held in place, etc. The power will be off, so there’s going to be no lighting there for you to see. Can you hold a flashlight, remove the outlet, hook up the news wires, and tighten the screws as a DIY job? Maybe if you knew what you were doing and had help. However, there are professionals out there whose job it is to handle these things for you.

It Depends on the Position of the Outlet

Another thing you have to consider is the position of the electrical outlet. While plenty of them are smack dab in the middle of the wall and very easy for you to get at, some are under ledges, near corners, etc., and so they’re very hard to get to. The harder they are to get to, the more likely you are to hook up the ground wrong or to leave some screws loose, which could result in some serious disaster after you turn the electricity back on. In other words, some outlets that need changing are just too much of a hassle for the average person to take on.

It’s Quick and Inexpensive to Hire the Pros

If you were to watch a few tutorial videos and really take your time, there’s no reason at all that you shouldn’t be able to change an ordinary outlet that’s wide open and placed in the middle of the wall. Though, to be clear, it’s not an expensive job at all for professionals to handle, and they can get it done a whole lot quicker than you. You get to save some time, and you don’t have to risk your safety, and you won’t have to invest money in-circuit testers and other equipment to ensure your safety. The pros do quick, clean work and can have your outlets back to working order in no time. So while you don’t need a pro technically speaking, it certainly helps to have one.

Always keep in mind here that electricity is very dangerous. Thousands of people are injured and lose their lives every year because they were electrocuted. It’s a risky job, even though it might seem like a pretty easy job. You can definitely do it if you take the proper safety precautions and know what you’re doing, but it’s always better to hire the professionals to handle this job.