Most DIY home electrical wiring projects are safe and relatively simple.
Many home electrical repairs are simple, easy projects that can be tackled by just about anyone with a few tools and a little know-how. Home wiring is governed by the National Electric Code and by local ordinances. Failure to adhere to electrical codes can cause fires and invalidate your homeowners insurance. When in doubt, consult a qualified, knowledgeable person or electrician. With that caveat in mind, you can easily change switches, receptacles and light fixtures and not lose sleep over the electrical code if you follow a few simple rules. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Basic Wiring Instructions
1. Turn the circuit breaker off to the circuit before starting work on it. Confirm the power has been shut off by using a no-contact voltage tester or neon voltage tester. Never work on a circuit that has live wires.
2. Bring the probe on the no-contact voltage tester near a wire. If voltage is present on the wire, the tester light will turn on. Some testers beep or chirp in addition to lighting up. Test all the wires on a device, not just one, with a no-contact voltage tester.
3. Insert the ends of a neon voltage tester into outlet slots to test for current. If the lamp lights, the current is still on. Touch the ends of two wires to see if voltage potential exists between the two wires. If the lamp lights at least one of the wires is live. Black to white, black to ground or black to black (or other color) are common tests for voltage.
4. Follow wire color coding while wiring: black or colored wires are hot, neutral wires are white and green or bare wires are grounded. When it's necessary to use a white wire as a hot wire -- such as wiring a switch -- recode the last inch of wire insulation black with a permanent marker.
5. Connect hot wires to brass or gold-colored terminals and neutral wires to silver terminals. Some switches may have some black terminals indicating they attach to traveler wires, which may combine colored and white wires when sheathed cable is used.
6. Strip 5/8 inches of insulation from the ends of solid wires with a wire stripper to connect them to a screw-type terminal as on a switch or receptacle. Turn the wire end into a hook shape with a long-nose pliers and place the wire around a terminal screw. Wrap the wire around the screw clockwise. Tighten terminal screws firmly with a screwdriver.
7. Strip 3/4 inches of insulation from solid wire ends to connect them together. Twist the wire ends together with a pliers, then screw a wire nut on top of the twisted connection.
8. Strip 1/2 inch of insulation from the ends of a solid and a stranded wire or two stranded wires to connect them. Hold the stranded wire end next to the solid wire end and place a wiring nut over the two wires. Screw on the wiring nut until the connection is tight. Twist two solid wires together before connecting them to a stranded wire.
9. Use the correct gauge wire on a circuit. A 14-gauge wire is the smallest allowed on residential wiring for 15-amp circuits. Other common wire gauges are 12 gauge for 20-amp circuits, 10 gauge for 30-amp circuits like electric dryers, 8 gauge for 40-amp circuits and 6 gauge for 50-amp circuits like electric ranges.
10. Follow rules for grounding all wiring. Connect ground wires together and attach ground wires to all fixtures, switches and outlets. Bare or green insulated wires are grounds and connect to other bare or green wires and the green terminal on switches and outlets. All permanently attached fixtures and appliances require a ground and so do many other appliances.
Tags: voltage tester, connect them, insulation from, no-contact voltage, no-contact voltage tester, stranded wire, circuits gauge
