Editor’s note: One in a series of ways to save money.

Muskogee plumber Mike Arnold is doing his own plumbing, heating and air conditioning work on an extension he’s adding to his house in Okay.

But, he said he called in an electrician friend of his to install the electric wiring.

Even an expert knows when to call in an expert.

Tight budgets could prompt homeowners to do their own plumbing, electrical or mechanical work. However, unless people know what they’re doing, the project could get messy, expensive, even dangerous.

“I have homeowners ask me, ‘Is this project something I can do?’ I answer that it depends on how much they know,” said Arnold, who owns the Mr. Plumber service in Muskogee. “It seems there are homeowners who can do their own plumbing and other homeowners that can’t.”

“I know from experience, when someone is working on electrical projects, and they get in over their heads, they could do things that cost them a lot more money than if they called someone in,” said Tony Griffith, owner of Tony’s Electric and Remodeling Co.

Griffith said electrical work involves plenty of safety hazards.

“If someone would change a light switch, they would save $70 from making a service call,” he said. “But if you put an electrical switch in and the wire was almost touching the side of the metal box, there’s an arc (electrical charge) in there.”

He said the arc could pose a safety or fire hazard.

Griffith said he warns against people doing their own electrical work unless they have experience with electrical work.

“It’s not because I want their money, but because I don’t want them to die,” he said.

Lowe’s Home Improvement Center has an online library of how-to guides on its Web site, www.lowes.com.

People also can learn basic electricity and basic air conditioning through 12-week classes offered by Indian Capital Technology Center.