One of the most important elements to installing a ceiling fan, just as with any home improvement project is electrical safety. Whatever the job, with electricity even a simple task can be fatal if shock is involved. In order to prevent any accidents from occurring, there are several things you can do that are precautionary. Using proper equipment, guidelines that are made available to you, and impartially evaluating your skills in this type of project can all help you to make safe and legal changes and modifications to your home. This will also make things go much smoother during the course of the project.
One thing you need to make sure of is that you have the proper tools and equipment to complete your job. For example with installing a ceiling fan, using a neon tester to test your completed work will give you a safe and accurate result so that you know your work has been done correctly. Not having the proper equipment can turn out to be very tedious and annoying, not to mention very dangerous in some cases. Choosing to do the project
yourself can be a money and time saving undertaking, not to mention less frustrating in some cases. However, if you do not have the right equipment to use it may be better to hire out the job.
Another very important thing that needs to be considered is the current National Electric Code. Another thing that strongly needs to be adhered to is the local codes in your community. Many times the requirements of these codes are much the same, but your local community may be more strict than the National Code. This will help your project run more smoothly in the safety department and will also help things run more smoothly with your local building department. If these codes are not strictly upheld, many times a project can get shut down simply because of this.
Lastly, when aiming for safety with electricity, look at your qualifications for doing this job objectively. It is easy to become complacent or to look at ourselves as we have more experience or knowledge than we do. If you look at your experience and know that you are not confident, don't chance it. Let a professional work on it. Once you have decided to tackle the project on your own, as you move through the job, check your work. Again, even though you are confident in your work, the potential to make a mistake is still there.
In conclusion, safety is the ultimate priority when you are working on any home improvement job. Stick to the national and local codes, using appropriate tools and equipment, and objectively assessing your skills in the electrical department and checking your work, and you can make a job move more smoothly and safely than it may otherwise go. DIY can definitely save you time, money, and frustration, but safety always comes first. Safety while installing a ceiling fan is just as important as any major DIY task.
A good place to start for your remodeling and construction projects is with LEED.
What is LEED?
LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design and is a rating system of sustainable green building and development practices.
LEED is also a nationally recognized, third party certification system and accreditation program conducted by the U.S. Green Building Council that certifies building projects meet high green building standards based on performance and measurable results in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
When LEED was first created it focused on new construction only but The U.S. Green Building Council and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) partnered together to create the REGREEN Program, which has created national green remodeling guidelines for existing homes so remodeling projects can also receive LEED certification.
In the US, our homes are responsible for 21% of our nation's greenhouse gas emissions. In the United States , approximately 4 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent (almost 9,000 pounds) per person per year (about 17% of total U.S. emissions) are emitted from people's homes. The three main sources of greenhouse gas emissions from homes are electricity use, heating and waste.
Formaldehyde is another gas emission from homes. It is emitted from many materials used to construct and remodel a home. Formaldehyde is a colorless gas. At elevated concentrations it has a strong, pungent odor and can be irritating to the eyes, nose, and lungs. Formaldehyde is released into the home from a variety of indoor sources. Some resins, or glues, used to bind wood chips or fibers into plywood, particleboard, and other pressed wood products, contain formaldehyde. Cabinetry and some floor and wall materials are often made from such products.
SOME COMMON SOURCES OF FORMALDEHYDE INDOORS
Pressed wood products: particleboard, plywood, medium-density fiberboard (MDF); often used in cabinetry, and wall and floor materials Consumer Products: wallpaper, paint, coatings; often a preservative in these and other products Coatings for Some Cabinet and Furniture Products: acid-catalyzed urea formaldehyde type finishes. Combustion Appliances: wood stoves, gas appliances, kerosene stoves
Living in a green home means that you're helping to stop the causes of climate change and using green materials and getting LEED certification in your remodeling and construction projects can help you not only be kind to the environment but also be kind to your body and your own personal health and there are also financial benefits to earning LEED certification too.
When you do a green LEED certification, not only are you doing something great for the planet and receiving environmental benefits like reduced greenhouse gas emissions and health benefits such as reduced exposure to mold, mildew, formaldehyde and other indoor toxins, you can also receive financial benefits such as lower energy and water bills and LEED certified homes may also be eligible for financial benefits such as lower fees for financing and lower insurance rates.
Both Kelly Church & Rebecca Noel are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.