Do-it-yourself electrical repair is an economical and fun way to do home repairs. When you have a switch, outlet or lighting problem, repairing it yourself is a nice and convenient way of saving money. You can do the basic stuff yourself, but when it comes to something big, you should at least consult a professional to make sure you're doing it correctly for safety reasons. When working with electricity, always be sure the power is off before you touch any wires. Does this Spark an idea?
Tools Of The Trade
You should have the following supplies before starting this project: straight screwdriver, Phillips screwdriver, needle nose pliers, wire strippers, electrical tape and wire connectors in small, medium and large. The following items are optional: a multi meter, which is an electrical tester (you use test leads and touch them to the wires to check if they have electricity in it) and a tick tracer, which checks to see whether there is an electrical current present (just touch the wire with the tip of the tester; it tests right through the insulation.)
Wire Basics
In order to know what is going on, you need to know what the wires are doing. The green wire is a ground wire. It is for your safety; always make sure it is connected to your device or to your electrical box. The white wire (or any colored wires with white stripes going down the length) is a neutral wire. It is also a grounding wire, but it is grounded at the transformer. Do not ground this wire. It is the return for your hot wire. Any other colored wire is a hot or live wire. Some hot wires do not carry current all of the time, like an outside light that only comes on when it's dark. They should be considered potentially hot; therefore, you should treat it as if it is a hot wire.
Replacing Switches, Cords and Outlets
Before removing any covers, be sure the breaker is off. Remove the cover and loosen the item from its electrical box and pull it out of the box. If you have a multi meter or tick tracer, check the wires to be sure the electricity is turned off. If you can, take a picture of how it's wired before you remove any wires; it will help you remember the order of its original state. Next, remove it and take it with you to purchase a replacement part. When you get the replacement, wire it up the same way the original was wired, put it all back the way you found it, replace the cover and turn your breaker back on.
Replacing a cut cord is easy because it isn't electrified. Examine your appliance to see where the cord enters. Take only the screws out that you need. Once you get inside, you can see how the cord is connected (take a picture for reference if necessary). Strip the insulation off of your wires with the wire strippers approximately ½ inch from the end and reattach the cord to the appliance. Sometimes it's easier to strip the wires inside the appliance as well and use a wire connector to reattach the wires. If you do, be sure to wrap them with electrical tape in order to avoid wire connection shortage. Put your appliance back together and plug it in.
Tags: electrical tape, know what, make sure, multi meter, take picture, tick tracer
