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Yes, electricians must be licensed, certified, and in most cases, insured. Licensing requirements vary by state and local municipality, but most U.S. municipalities require electricians to hold an electrical contractor’s license. It's always a good practice to confirm requirements with your local municipality. Even if licensing is not required in your area, hiring a licensed and experienced electrician often leads to a better end result.

A license is a legal requirement to operate a business and is necessary for pulling project permits. Certifications, on the other hand, are typically voluntary and demonstrate a certain level of expertise. In some cases, a certified electrician may send an apprentice or journeyman to perform the work, but they must operate under a primary electrician who holds the proper license.

Before hiring, you should verify the electrician's license, insurance coverage, and any third-party certifications. You can use Angi’s contractor licensing search to confirm a pro's license status. Additionally, businesses with the “Angi Approved” badge on our platform meet strict criteria, including having the required state and local licenses, passing a background check, and maintaining a high average rating.

Typically, refrigerators should not be plugged into GFCI outlets. This is another appliance with a motor that can be prone to a little current leakage. Using a standard outlet saves nuisance tripping and the potential of waking up to a refrigerator full of warm food. The only exception is when the refrigerator is in a garage, where all outlets must be GFCI.

Compared to amps, volts, and watts, ohms are a different kind of measurement, though also very common. Ohms show the resistance of materials like wiring: How much they impede the flow of electrons. The reason household wiring is usually copper or aluminum is that these materials are affordable and also have lower ohms, which means low resistance/high conductivity.

Yes, the National Electrical Code reviews household codes every three years. However, that doesn’t always mean that kitchen counter outlet requirements will change, but it does allow room for professionals to make updates. That’s why many older kitchens are no longer code-compliant thanks to changing rules for amperage, GFCI protection, and more.