5 ms·

My first thought was that this could destroy both your car and your home in ways that insurance might not cover. Simply do not.

ceejayoz 3y ago
Your car, your home, and maybe you.
scotty79 3y ago
I don't think its way more dangerous than scented candle lit on a coffee table.
kuchenbecker 3y ago
Insurance covers being stupid.
- itishappy 3y ago
  It often does not. I'd check your policy before doing DIY electrical work.
  - itishappy 3y ago
    I can no longer edit, but I've learned my comment is somewhat misleading. Home insurance policies (in the US) often cover negligence including faulty electrical work. If it's in your contract, they will pay. Insurance companies will then do their job, which is to find someone liable and send them the bill (subrogation). If you did the work, you're the responsible party. TL;DR: Burning your house down is probably covered by insurance, but that doesn't mean you're not liable.
- ceejayoz 3y ago
  Not in all cases, contracts, and jurisdictions. For example, DIYing electrical work in Australia is illegal. https://www.electricalsafety.qld.gov.au/electrical-safety-home/dont-do-your-own-electrical-work https://www.electricalsafety.qld.gov.au/electrical-safety-ho... > Not only is it breaking the law, but you could also jeopardise your insurance! > Changing powerpoints or light switches might seem simple, but unless you are trained and qualified, there are lots of risks you just won’t know about. Never attempt to do your own electrical work – you could kill or injure yourself or your family, or start a fire. Always use a licensed electrician.
  - gambiting 3y ago
    I think we can all agree that Australia is taking it waaaaay too far, and requiring a licenced electrician to change your own light switches is just dumb, and it has nothing to do with safety but making sure that electricians have a steady source of bread doing work that anyone should be able to do with a screwdriver. Unless Australia has a much lower rate of home electrical accidents than rest of the world, I refuse to believe that this is a good thing. Sorry, a bit offtopic but that partiular thing really grinds my gears, especially since it covers any cabling that goes inside your wall, so even just running an HDMI cable inside your wall requires a certified electrician to sign off on it.
    - ceejayoz 3y ago
      I mean, when I moved into my house in the US there were ground wires in the outlet boxes, but none of them were actually hooked onto the outlets. I'd agree Australia's restrictions are too far, but "DIY all you like with things that could kill the next person" has its issues too.
      - Nextgrid 3y ago
        Unless there's mandatory, regular and thorough inspections of licensed work, making said work require licensing isn't actually going to increase quality. I've seen absolutely terrible, dodgy and unsafe stuff left behind by trained, licensed & well-paid professionals that only "worked" due to a combination of luck & safety margins.
- bastawhiz 3y ago
  This is absolutely entirely untrue. Read the fine print on your policy.
Spivak 3y ago
A smart electrical switch is going to destroy my home? Guess I've been living on borrowed time with my smart outlets.
- marcosdumay 3y ago
  I'm always at loss if the fragility comments like the GP imply are really experienced by the commenter or if it comes from ignoring all the safety around things plugged on the mains power. Because yes, some homes are really vulnerable to electrical problems. And no, you can't trust any device (high-branded, non-name, DIY, whatever) on such homes. You can't even trust them to handle electricity being available, without any device consuming it.
- 1970-01-01 3y ago
  If it overheats the PLA box and catches fire, very yes.
- itishappy 3y ago
  Most electrical fires are caused by faulty wiring and outlets, so yes, DIYing your own wiring and outlets can easily destroy you home... A 10A outdoor charger probably also deserves it's own breaker.
  - bluGill 3y ago
    It isn't hard to DIY this right. You need to be careful and understand the NEC (or whatever your area uses), but the work isn't hard. I've seen professionals do some really bad work.
    - itishappy 3y ago
      Sure, but it's easy to fuck up too and the consequences are high. You're gambling with your home and most insurance won't cover DIY electrical work.
      - fr0sty 3y ago

ceejayoz 3y ago

Your car, your home, and maybe you.

scotty79 3y ago

I don't think its way more dangerous than scented candle lit on a coffee table.

kuchenbecker 3y ago

Insurance covers being stupid.

itishappy 3y ago
It often does not. I'd check your policy before doing DIY electrical work.
- itishappy 3y ago
  I can no longer edit, but I've learned my comment is somewhat misleading. Home insurance policies (in the US) often cover negligence including faulty electrical work. If it's in your contract, they will pay. Insurance companies will then do their job, which is to find someone liable and send them the bill (subrogation). If you did the work, you're the responsible party. TL;DR: Burning your house down is probably covered by insurance, but that doesn't mean you're not liable.
ceejayoz 3y ago
Not in all cases, contracts, and jurisdictions. For example, DIYing electrical work in Australia is illegal. https://www.electricalsafety.qld.gov.au/electrical-safety-home/dont-do-your-own-electrical-work https://www.electricalsafety.qld.gov.au/electrical-safety-ho... > Not only is it breaking the law, but you could also jeopardise your insurance! > Changing powerpoints or light switches might seem simple, but unless you are trained and qualified, there are lots of risks you just won’t know about. Never attempt to do your own electrical work – you could kill or injure yourself or your family, or start a fire. Always use a licensed electrician.
- gambiting 3y ago
  I think we can all agree that Australia is taking it waaaaay too far, and requiring a licenced electrician to change your own light switches is just dumb, and it has nothing to do with safety but making sure that electricians have a steady source of bread doing work that anyone should be able to do with a screwdriver. Unless Australia has a much lower rate of home electrical accidents than rest of the world, I refuse to believe that this is a good thing. Sorry, a bit offtopic but that partiular thing really grinds my gears, especially since it covers any cabling that goes inside your wall, so even just running an HDMI cable inside your wall requires a certified electrician to sign off on it.
  - ceejayoz 3y ago
    I mean, when I moved into my house in the US there were ground wires in the outlet boxes, but none of them were actually hooked onto the outlets. I'd agree Australia's restrictions are too far, but "DIY all you like with things that could kill the next person" has its issues too.
    - Nextgrid 3y ago
      Unless there's mandatory, regular and thorough inspections of licensed work, making said work require licensing isn't actually going to increase quality. I've seen absolutely terrible, dodgy and unsafe stuff left behind by trained, licensed & well-paid professionals that only "worked" due to a combination of luck & safety margins.
bastawhiz 3y ago
This is absolutely entirely untrue. Read the fine print on your policy.

Spivak 3y ago

A smart electrical switch is going to destroy my home? Guess I've been living on borrowed time with my smart outlets.

marcosdumay 3y ago
I'm always at loss if the fragility comments like the GP imply are really experienced by the commenter or if it comes from ignoring all the safety around things plugged on the mains power. Because yes, some homes are really vulnerable to electrical problems. And no, you can't trust any device (high-branded, non-name, DIY, whatever) on such homes. You can't even trust them to handle electricity being available, without any device consuming it.
1970-01-01 3y ago
If it overheats the PLA box and catches fire, very yes.
itishappy 3y ago
Most electrical fires are caused by faulty wiring and outlets, so yes, DIYing your own wiring and outlets can easily destroy you home... A 10A outdoor charger probably also deserves it's own breaker.
- bluGill 3y ago
  It isn't hard to DIY this right. You need to be careful and understand the NEC (or whatever your area uses), but the work isn't hard. I've seen professionals do some really bad work.
  - itishappy 3y ago
    Sure, but it's easy to fuck up too and the consequences are high. You're gambling with your home and most insurance won't cover DIY electrical work.
    - fr0sty 3y ago