A world without electricity is hard to imagine. Electricity keeps our world running and moving forward, providing essential infrastructure to power our homes, businesses, schools and factories. We’d have none of this without the meaningful work done by electrical workers!
While we know that electricians work with electrical systems and wiring, have you ever wondered what exactly an electrician does?
First, it’s important to know that electricians are part of a larger group of workers called electrical workers. While electrician is the more commonly used term for anyone who works with electric power, electrical worker is a more encompassing term for those in the field of electrical work.
What are the different types of electricians?
When you think of an electrician, the image that comes to mind is probably that of a man or woman who wired up your house for power, added a new outlet, or upgraded your electrical box in the garage. Or perhaps you’ve seen workers installing or repairing an electrical pole in your neighborhood.
There are actually four main categories of electrical workers: outside linemen, inside wiremen, installer technicians, and residential wiremen. Each has an important, but different, role in installing, maintaining, and repairing electrical power, communications, light and control systems in our homes, communities, and businesses.
What does an outside lineman do?
We call them outside linemen (women are included in this term!) because they literally work outside. Outside linemen work on the distribution of electrical power from power plants to our homes and offices. They work on the power lines and cables that supply electricity, including installing new lines, making repairs to existing lines, and inspecting and running tests on power lines. Much of their work is done outside, and they can often be found high up in cherry pickers. Whenever a storm damages the electrical poles in your neighborhood, it’s the outside linemen who come and fix them.
What does an inside wireman do?
Inside wiremen install and work on the electrical system in offices, stores, schools, factories, etc. As the name implies, an inside wireman’s expertise covers the electrical work done mostly inside a building, from the point of entry in a building, to all the places in a building that need power. These types of jobs tend to be larger in scope than those of residential electricians, especially when it comes to installation.
What does an installer technician do?
Installer technicians work on the insides of buildings, usually beside the wireman, installing the network of low voltage cabling that is used for video, voice and data or other low voltage signaling. Installer technicians work on small residential projects and large commercial or industrial projects. You can thank an installer technician for all the wiring that powers your laptop and connects you to the Internet!
What does a residential wireman do?
A residential wireman specializes in installing and maintaining all of the electrical systems in single family homes, townhomes, condos and apartment buildings. The work they do is similar to that of an inside wireman, performing the electrical work from the point of entry into a home to the equipment within each home that uses that power.
Regardless of their specialization, electrical work is some of the most meaningful work out there. Electricians will always be needed, and their skills will always be useful and in high demand. They quite literally, keep the lights on in our communities!
Interested in an exciting career as an electrical worker? Learn more at https://www.constructyourfuture.com/electrical-workers.
