Electrical

Electrical Repairs

Easy to Learn Steps Toward Considerable Savings In Home Electrical Repairs:

Lesson two: tool kit

The greatest fear a new “Mr. Fix-it” often faces is considering the challenge of an electrical project.  The primary hurdle is the fear of being shocked.  It is this unnecessary fear which often times prompts a call to a costly service repairman.  A healthy respect for electricity cannot be over emphasized however; working on electrical components is undoubtedly one of the safest, easiest and certainly the cleanest undertaking for the home owner

The truth of the matter is: It is absolutely impossible to receive an electrical shock if there is no current passing through, or stored in, the device or appliance.  Pull the plug, remove the fuse or trip the breaker.  It is as simple as that yet literally hundreds of home owners meet with an untimely demise every year due to electrical shock.  Disconnecting the source is a very simple, common sense rule to avoid such tragedies.

There really is nothing difficult in any phase of electrical work.  Once you have a fundamental understanding of electricity the odds are you may have a more difficult time assembling a child’s toy at Christmas than replacing a light switch, receptacle or ceiling fan.

Now then, most electrical panels are located either in a utility room, garage or basement.  Ironically these are the very rooms which you are most likely to find either a wet or damp floor.  Go figure!  Institute a few Precautionary and Safety measures: they are a must.

Beneath the electrical panel in my home I have an 18 inch by 24 inch rubber matt.  Secondly, stored in a clear plastic envelope I have a sign which reads:  “Stop.  Work In Progress   Do Not Open”.  I tape this sign to the outside of the panel’s door whenever I am doing electrical work in the house.  If I need to flip a breaker to the “off” position, I place a small piece of Red Tape across the breaker.

Furthermore, in an occupied home communication is extremely important.  It is not uncommon for a circuit to supply electricity to more than one room.  Let everyone in the house know you are working on the electrical system.  Do not feel that you are going a bit overboard.  The way I see it; should someone stumble upon me lying on the floor, with my hair really, really curly, it will be extremely difficult for them to convince me that: “It waaas an ac-ci-dent” if they try to explain why they turned the breaker back to the “on” position.

Lastly, make certain you have allocated enough time to finish the project.  Leaving an open, unattended circuit for any unnecessary length of time is an invitation for disaster.  Considering the speed of electricity is in the neighborhood of 20,000 miles per second, unless you are extremely gifted with exceptionally fast reflexes, you will have very little chance to avoid an electrical shock should you accidentally grab or brush against a live wire.

Modern civilization has brought at least a hundred different machines, devices and appliances into our home.  Any one of them has been known to “pass their electrons on to the Great Voltage Meter” in the sky at the most inopportune time.

You need not wait for a repairman.

With an inexpensive tool kit you can manage just about any electrical home repair project. Your electrical portion of this toolkit should consist of at least the following:

One pair of needle nose pliers

One pair of lineman’s pliers

One large and one small spade screwdriver

One #2 and one #1 Phillips screwdriver

A wire stripper capable of stripping 10, 12 and 14 gauge wire

A voltage tester, a continuity tester, and jumper wires

Electrical tape and wire caps for 10, 12 and 14 gauge wire

An electrical soldering iron and electrical wire solder.

I enjoy going to yard sales and flea markets for tools.  Shopping this way a basic electrical kit will cost around 25 or 30 dollars to put together and it can literally save you hundreds of dollars the first time you use it.

While this is a good starter kit, it goes without saying the more extensive your tool kit the more work you can do and so you have a greater potential for saving exceptional amounts of money.

If your budget allows, here are a few additional items I consider to add safety and potential to your kit.

Circuit Breaker Finder is the perfect tool for tracing live wiring and outlets!  New – about  $80.00

A Non-Contact Voltage Detector is great for detecting energized wires and terminals without touching them. This device is just generally good to have around but also is great for the novice to determine where the “feed” is coming from.  New – about   $21.00.

A Circuit Analyzer.  It plugs directly into the socket just like any other plug.  Yellow and red indicators instantly signal which wire is defective.  The pattern can be easily decoded with a chart located on the top of the unit.  Most have built in GFCI testers. New – about   $8.00

This recession is real and we haven’t seen the bottom yet.  If you buy your tools only as you need them your budget should stay intact.  Flea markets, yard sales and learning to do some very easy repairs around the home are great providers during any economic situation.

In Lesson Three: What to get for the Man Who Has Everything, but Doesn’t Know Squat!
Brian Pacatte is a light commercial/residential builder of 18 years.
Entertaining, down to earth and easy to read information and/or instructions are offered for the homeowner wanting to stretch their remodeling budget.
If you are selling your home and wish to get the highest return for your investment, his articles are a Must Read.
Brian heads up a 24/7 forum where you are invited to ask questions regarding ‘How To’ projects.  Questions are typically answered in 24 to 48 hours.
They also manage Creative Building Solutions   where the DIY novice is guided through various home improvement projects

Stop Foreclosure

Save Money by Grouping All Your Electrical Repair Jobs Together

Many people are greatly concerned regarding the total cost they will need to spend to have their electrical projects completed. One great way homeowners and business owners can save money on electrical repair jobs is to group the projects together and have the electrician perform all of the work at one time. The best way to ensure that you have all of your electrical needs repaired at once is to make a thorough investigation of your electrical problems and have them fixed immediately.

You may find that the best way to locate all of your electrical projects is to have regular inspections of your wiring and electrical system. If your electrician determines that you need any repairs, you should arrange to have everything fixed as soon as possible. By having a qualified electrician regularly inspect your home, you can make certain that you are aware of all of your electrical problems and can devise a reasonable time frame to have them addressed.

When your electrical system is working in proper order, you’ll find that you’ll save more money as well as energy costs. In addition to having your jobs performed at once, you may find that you can benefit by using a few energy saving tips. First, you should make sure that you turn off lights throughout your home when they are not in use. Though it may seem simple, this is a great way to cut back on wasted energy and will significantly lower your energy bill. You’ll also find that switching all of your light bulbs from incandescent to CFL (or compact fluorescent light bulbs) will also reduce your total energy usage. At first, you may wonder if the switch is worth it due to the fact that CFL bulbs are more expensive but when you compare the amount to the lifespan of the bulbs, you’ll see that the benefits are great. By having your home or business regularly inspected by an electrician, having all of your repairs performed at once and taking steps to lower your energy usage, you will find that you save money on both your electrical repairs and use.

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