Electrician Facts for Kids

An electrician is a skilled worker who specializes in electrical wiring. They work on buildings, machines, and other equipment that uses electricity. Electricians might put in new electrical parts or fix and take care of existing electrical systems. Some electricians also work on wiring for ships, airplanes, and other moving platforms, as well as for data and cable connections.

What is an Electrician?
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What is an Electrician?

Understanding the Job of an Electrician

The word "electrician" first described people who studied or showed how electricity works, often using early machines that created static electricity. Today, electricians are hands-on professionals who make sure our homes, schools, and businesses have safe and working electricity.

Different Kinds of Electricians

In places like the United States and Canada, electricians are often divided into two main groups:

Linemen: These electricians work for power companies. They deal with the large power lines and systems that carry electricity at very high voltages to neighborhoods and towns.
Wiremen: These electricians work with the lower voltages found inside buildings. They make sure the electricity works safely in homes, offices, and factories.

Wiremen can specialize in different areas:

Commercial: Working on electrical systems in stores, offices, and other businesses.
Residential: Installing and fixing wiring in homes and apartments.
Light Industrial: Working in smaller factories or workshops.
Industrial: Handling complex electrical systems in large factories and industrial plants.
Low-Voltage Wiring (VDV): This involves wiring for things like voice (phones), data (computers and internet), and video systems.

Some electricians also specialize in control wiring (for automated systems) or fire-alarm systems.

How Electricians Get Trained

Electricians go through special training to become experts. There are usually three main levels:

Apprentice: This is where training begins. Apprentices work alongside experienced electricians and get paid while they learn. They also attend classes for several hundred hours over three to six years.
Journeyman: After completing their apprenticeship, electricians become journeymen. This means they have shown they are skilled and competent in electrical work. They usually pass an exam given by a local or national licensing group.
Master Electrician: This is the highest level. Master electricians have worked as journeymen for many years (often seven to ten). They pass a difficult exam to show they have a deep understanding of electrical rules and safety codes.

Specialized Roles for Electricians

Electricians can also have different roles based on the type of work they do:

Service Electricians: These electricians respond to calls for repairs or upgrades in existing buildings. They are good at finding and fixing problems with wiring.
Construction Electricians: These electricians work on big projects, like installing all the new electrical systems for a brand-new building or completely updating the wiring in a large office floor.
Marine Electricians: They specialize in electrical systems on boats and ships.
Research Electricians: They might work in labs, setting up and maintaining electrical equipment for scientific experiments.
Hospital Electricians: They ensure the complex and critical electrical systems in hospitals are always working safely.

The term "electrician" is also used in other fields:

In stagecraft (theater), electricians are mainly responsible for setting up, focusing, and operating stage lighting. The chief electrician for a show is called the Master Electrician. These theater electricians have different skills and training than those who work on building wiring.
In the film industry and on a television crew, the head electrician is known as a Gaffer.

Electrical Contractors

An electrical contractor is a business that hires electricians to design, install, and maintain electrical systems. These businesses are responsible for:

Bidding on new jobs.
Hiring skilled electricians for projects.
Making sure electricians have the right materials on time.
Working with architects, engineers, and customers to plan and complete electrical projects.

Images for kids

An electrician working on a light.
Electrician installing new meter socket on the side of a house.
Two electricians install high-current cabinet in Ystad 2021.
A utility electrician/lineperson does maintenance on a utility pole.
Many electricians get their start in the military.
Two of the tools commonly used by electricians. The fish tape is used to pull wires through pipes, or sometimes through hollow walls. The conduit bender is used to make accurate bends in electrical pipes.