Many items, such as repairing or adding an electrical switch or outlet (receptacle), hanging a fan with a light or wiring a basement are items which a DIY handyman should be able to complete with relative ease.
The following directory will guide you to additional information on each aspect of electrical installations, repairs and improvement for your home.
Also see the electrical section of our Quick Tips
.
220VAC Circuit For An Outdoor Air Conditioner
The basic configuration of the electrical circuit needed to power your outdoor air conditioner condenser requires that the power comes from a double pole circuit breaker in your home load center, goes to an air conditioner disconnect switch and from the disconnect switch to the condenser.
3-Way Switch Installation - English;
A 3-way switch is used to turn a light fixture OFF
and ON
from two locations.
3-Way & 4-Way Switch-Usage
In many instances in a home, having the ability to turn lights or other electrical devices OFF
and ON
from more than one location is desirable and provides added safety and security.
4-Way Switch Installation
A 4-way switch is used to turn a light fixture OFF
and ON
from three or more locations.
10 Most Common Wiring Mistakes
Most home handymen will do some of their own electrical work. This article covers 10 of the most common electrical wiring mistakes made.
Addition / Basement Wiring
If you are planning on finishing a basement or adding an addition to your home one of the requirements to consider is what items will need electrical service.
Aluminum Wiring
When the approval agencies in the early 60's approved the use of aluminum wiring in homes, they did it without a lot of thought or testing.
Arc Fault (AFCI)
2 Wire AFI Circuits
A new electrical safety device for homes, called an arc fault circuit interrupter or AFCI, is expected to provide enhanced protection from fires resulting from these unsafe home wiring conditions.
Armored Cable (AC)
Armored cable has been around for a number of years, initially it gained a bad reputation, however manufacturing improvements have made armored cable or as it is known in the trade AC
cable an acceptable alternative in most jurisdictions.
Automatic Light Switch
Have you ever wished that a light in an attic, closet or other area would turn on automatically if a door was opened or if you entered a room?
Ceiling Fan Wiring Diagrams
To understand how to wire a new ceiling fan and or ceiling fan light combo unit in your home you must first understand the basics of how the fans and lights are powered.
Christmas Electrical Safety
Christmas Lights Indoors
Christmas Lights Outdoors
Replacing Mini Bulbs
Christmas season is upon us and as we commence to decorate our homes with lights it is important to remember that overloading electrical circuits is a common occurrence at this time of year.
Circuit Breaker Tripping
A circuit breaker will trip (turn itself off) for one of two reasons: Learn the causes of a tripping breaker and how to troubleshoot and replace one if necessary.
Conduit
PVC electrical conduit is an easy product to work with. A hacksaw, or a conduit cutter, if you are planning on doing a lot of conduit work, and a tape measure are the only tools required.
Consumption
Many homeowners have become aware that their monthly electric bill is continually increasing. At the same time, we are all aware that the cost of each kilowatt of electricity is going up. But the increase in our electrical costs is not just related to the costs of the electricity it is also driven by our consumption of electrical power.
Contactors - Using & Understanding
Electrical contactors are switches that are turned ON
and OFF
with electrical power rather than with the direct push of a button or flipping a toggle switch.
Dimmers
You have decided to replace a wall light switch with a light dimmer. Whether it is for room ambience or to save energy, replacing a switch with a dimmer is not as simple as it may sound at the outset.
Electrical Boxes - Number Of Wires
When remodeling a kitchen, attic, basement or other room in your home you may have to add electrical wires to an electrical box. There is a limit to how many wires you can safely place in a specific size of electrical box.
Electricity 101
Working with electricity, to make an electrical device such as a light go on or off is very simple if you follow some basic guidelines and absorb the basic principles.
Extension Cords
One of the most common mistakes that is made during any home improvement or construction project is using the wrong size extension cord to supply electricity to power tools. This mistake is made be contractors and home handymen alike.
Fishing Electrical Wires And Cables
With walls and ceilings finished getting a new electrical circuit, the continuation of an older electrical circuit, cable, satellite feeds or speaker wires from point A to point B generally requires a lot of thought and ingenuity.
Flat Panel Television Wall Mount Installation
Installing your flat panel plasma or LCD television on the wall is not a difficult task and should easily be accomplished by any handyman. There are however, a number of considerations.
Fuse Panel To Breaker Panel
Electrical distribution fuse panels (load centers) have become obsolete and in many jurisdictions a homeowner cannot get home insurance if they have a fuse panel installed.
Ground Fault (GFCI)
2 Wire GFCI Circuits
The GFCI is designed to protect people from severe or fatal electric shocks Because a GFCI detects ground faults, it can also prevent some electrical fires and reduce the severity of others by interrupting the flow of electric current.
IP Ratings
IP ratings are used where water is present near the light source. IP ratings (Ingress Protection
) are also used in conjunction with zones
Kilowatt Hours (kWh)
Most electrical appliances are rated in kilowatts and there should be a label on the back or side of the appliance stating how many kilowatts the appliance consumes when operating. But, what are kilowatt hours?
Kitchen Remodel Wiring
Electrical Outlets (Receptacles) Relative To Countertops
The kitchen area requires more power than any other area in a home. If you have an older home, you may face the problem of not having enough additional or spare circuits available to properly supply power to your new and updated kitchen.
Knob & Tube Wiring
Knob and tube wiring has not been used in homes since the 1950's and the question that must be asked, is how has it been maintained and upgraded.
Landscape Wiring
Landscape - Install An Outlet
If you have a need to provide power in your landscaping project for lighting and motors such as pond pumps, there are some things that you should consider.
Maintaining Electric Wires at Home - Essential Tools
Motion Sensor - Indoor
With the latest technology you can easily install a sensor that will turn lights on when someone enters a room and turn the lights off when the room is unoccupied.
Motion Detector Adjustment - Outdoor
Motion Detector Installation
Multiple Motion Detector Installation
A motion detector is an automatic switch. Many outdoor light fixtures have built in or integral motion detectors. However in many cases it is desirable to have the motion detector separate from the light fixture.
Old Work (Remodel) Electrical Box Installation
Generally the most convenient method of adding the electrical box that will house the new receptacle is to use what is known as a remodel electrical box
or an old work electrical box
.
Outbuilding Power
Most individuals require power in all buildings on their property, and if that building is not physically connected to the house, you will need to run the power from the home to the outbuilding.
Outlet (Receptacle) - Replacing
Installing New Outlet (Receptacle) On An Existing Circuit
Installing An Outdoor Outlet (Receptacle)
7 Step Procedure To Replace An Electrical Outlet (Receptacle)
The vast majority of home electrical outlets (receptacles) fall into 5 categories (the style of the outlet (receptacle), standard or decorator, does not change how it is installed.
Outlet (Receptacle) - Positions In Living Areas
The National Electrical Code (NEC) provides maximum distances from walls and other obstructions and between individual electrical outlets (receptacles). This is called the 6 / 12 rule.
Panels
Your home’s electricity is delivered to your home through overhead wires or an underground feed. This feed is connected to your electrical meter socket.
Pendant Light Fixtures - Height
You have purchased a new set of pendant light fixtures that you are going to place over a bar or counter and now you face the age old question; what is the optimum height of a pendant light fixture?
Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Panels?
The purpose of a photovoltaic (PV) solar panel is to generate electricity. These solar panels are made up of a number of photovoltaic cells wired together to obtain a usable amount of current and voltage to provide power for your home.
Plastic Electrical Boxes - Cable Anchoring
Working with plastic electrical boxes is somewhat different than using metal boxes.
Plugs & Sockets
There is a big difference between electrical plugs and sockets. Each plug and socket is designed to meet a specific electrical requirement and the number and configuration of the prongs on the end of a plug or the number of slots and their configuration on the end of a socket is only a small part of the overall specifications of the plug or socket.
Positioning Electrical Outlets (Receptacles) & Switches
If you are adding an addition, finishing a basement or performing any major home improvement that involves the addition of electrical outlets (receptacles) and / or switches you should consider their height and location.
Radiant Electric Heat
There are so many beautiful flooring materials for bathrooms, kitchens, and family rooms, yet many of them have a major drawback. They are cool and sometimes very cold to the touch.
Rerouting Electrical Cable / Wire
Anytime one considers opening up a wall for a pass-through, doorway or as a combining of two rooms, you face the possibility of finding cables and wires running through the area that you want to remove.
Sconce Light Fixture Installation
Sconces are wall mounted light fixtures that can be added to any room in a home and are an excellent choice of lighting for hallways and stairs. Wall sconces provide a level of elegance whether they are placed in a formal dining room, a bathroom or to provide subdued lighting in a family room.
Smart Meters / Smart Grid
Smart grid technologies or as it is sometimes termed, smart meters, are utilized by utilities to reduce the demand for electrical power, during what has become the peak demand periods of the week. Homeowners that utilize the benefits of smart meter technology can save hundreds of dollars a year on their electrical bills.
Splitting Two Wires On A Breaker
Having two wires or circuits on a breaker generally occurs because the home has required additional electrical outlets (receptacles) or lighting.
Stand-by Generators
Transfer Switch Wiring
Standby Generator Panel Warning Label
Fuel
Standby Generators Versus Uninterruptable Power Supplies
Stand-by generators provide security and a level of comfort in the event of a utility power failure. They can maintain indoor climate, provide lighting, keep food from spoiling and allow a family to function.
Step Lights - How To Illuminate Stairs
Stairs are one of the most common causes of home falls and one of the biggest problems associated with stairs is illumination. With the advent of LED lights the homeowner now has many convenient alternatives when it comes to providing light on a staircase or just a few steps in the home.
Structured Wiring
Structured wiring is the term used to describe a relatively new method of providing service throughout your home for all of your low voltage requirements.
Sub-Panel Installation
An electrical sub-panel provides you with additional electrical circuits. It does not change the amount of power available to the home.
Surge Protection - Whole House
Buying Surge Protectors or Surge Suppression
Types Of Surge Protectors or Surge Suppression
Whole House Surge Protection
Having a surge protector or surge suppression in your home or business is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity. Electronic devices such as flat screen televisions, computers, DVD players and recorders and appliances are delicate and cannot withstand electrical surges.
Suspended Ceilings - Mounting Lights, Fans & Ventilators
A suspended ceiling has one major drawback. It is not designed to support the weight of lights, fans and/or ventilators.
Switch Installation
Lights with pull cords are a common occurrence in basements and closets and as most are not overly aesthetic many homeowners wish to change them to a standard light fixture with a switch.
Switch Loops
The 2011 NEC code has made changes to the common method of wiring a switch loop. A switch loop is created when power is fed to a light fixture and the hot wire is broken and extended to a light switch.
Switches & Outlets (Receptacles)
Crooked Switch & Outlet Plates
The most common and least expensive is the toggle on/off switch. This switch controls the power running in an electrical circuit. With the switch in the off position the continuity of the circuit is broken with the switch in the on position the circuit continuity is completed.
Symbols - Electrical Drawings
If you are building a new home, adding an addition or performing a major remodel you should understand and use the accepted electrical symbols to designate items and their locations on the plans.
Telephone Jack Installation
Installing a new telephone jack in your home is not a complex project. The greatest amount of difficult is to get the cable from any currently live telephone jack or open piece of wire to the location of the new telephone jack.
Timers - Bathroom Fan
With the cost of energy increasing monthly, a small investment in controls to automatically turn electrical devices off when no longer needed can save you really dollars.
Track Lighting Installation
Track lighting is one of the most versatile lighting styles on the market today. Often a staple of many offices and art studios, track lighting combines the perfect mix of everyday task lighting and directional lighting - making it more and more popular in homes.
Troubleshooting Flickering Lights
Lights That Dim Momentarily
Nothing is more frustrating in a home than having lights that blink or work sometimes and not others. Troubleshooting a flickering light electrical circuit can take hours, but with a little patience and planning you can find the problem and correct it.
Upgrade Your Electrical Service
If you are contemplating a major remodel, the addition of a room or garage, or a new kitchen you should consider upgrading your electrical service.
Watts To Amps Converter
A common problem faced by many homeowners when doing renovations that involve the addition of electrical circuits is calculating the size of the circuit necessary to carry enough power to the electrical devices being used.
Watts Versus Lumens
Most of us grew up with the concept of buying light bulbs based on their wattage. Incandescent light bulbs, florescent light bulbs and other varieties of light bulbs are still labeled and sold based on their wattage. Now we must be re-educted and buy light bulbs based on lumens.
Wind Generators - Home
Many homeowners are considering the use of the energy in wind to augment the power that they currently receive from the electrical grid.
Wire Connections (Terminals & Wire Nuts)
If you are undertaking any electrical project it is important that you follow some basic rules when it comes to stripping and terminating electrical wire.
Wire Gauges
Residential electrical wiring can be confusing at the best of times. Learn the right size wire gauges to use from the electrical service entering your home to receptacles, lighting and appliances.
Wire Nuts
Any DIY home handyman who as undertaken any electrical work has used wire nuts. A wire nut is a device that aids in the connection of a group of electrical wires. It not only holds the joint secure, but provides insulation for the mechanical wire joint.