Electrical Repairs

Old floor lamps are usually quite sturdy, but the portion of the wire that runs from the plug to the base of the lamp is prone to damage. According to the U.S. Office of Compliance Safety and...

Rotary dial telephones, in which phone numbers are inputted by dialing and releasing a wheel, have become increasingly uncommon. Touch-tone phones, in which numbers are entered from a keypad, are...

Generating your own electricity provides the promise of energy independence, which will save you money, help your community stay sustainable, keep you with power even during a power outage. In the...

Home security systems are connected to your home's main power source and also use a battery as a secondary source of power. In order to disable the alarm, you will have to stop these two power...

Repairing an electrical plug can seem like an average home repair, but care must always be taken when working with electrical cords and electricity. Electrical cords or extension cords are very...

If you are a homeowner you may, at some point in time, need to install an additional cable outlet. This technique will cover the procedures and some safety aspects of installing an additional...

Most light fixtures are designed to last for many years before needing to be replaced. When they develop problems, one of the most common failures is that of the socket. Over time, the wire...

Snaking cables through walls can be done quickly with the use of a tool called a fish tape, which is a long, thin metal ribbon that becomes rigid when uncoiled from a spool. The fish tape is...

Installing a light fixture in your mobile home gives you the opportunity to update older fixtures or have that special light fixture that completes the theme in a specific room. You can choose...

A junction box is the place where electrical wires meet and are spliced together. Electrical junction boxes come in an assortment of shapes and sizes according to need. Large junction boxes can...

Connecting a wind generator to a power grid may be as simple as contacting your electric company to request installation of a meter. Advantages include eliminating the need to buy and maintain...

Paper lanterns have been a part of Chinese culture for centuries. In recent decades, Chinese paper lamps have become a popular lighting option in many homes in the U.S. Paper lamps are inexpensive...

When planning an addition to your home, you may also plan an addition to your home's electrical circuitry. To avoid tripping the circuit breakers involved, you'll need to know how to calculate the...

A battery wired into an electrical circuit will provide current until the battery is drained of its useful charge. However, there are occasions when bypassing the battery is useful--as a safety...

Electric motors are used in many applications today. From the small motors used in audiocassette tape decks to the large electric motors used in trains, we see evidence of this fact...

Whatever your reason for replacing your old doorbell, the actual installation is not very difficult. A doorbell kit and few basic tools are all you'll need. It is a very small price for the sake...

Electrical cords allow us to provide power to our lamps, vacuum cleaners or other home devices to keep them running. They are also perhaps one of the things that take the most abuse as well....

Due to increased energy consumption throughout the earth, traditional sources of energy have become strained. Because oil and natural gas supplies are used so commonly as energy sources, prices...

Most people are familiar with the concept of using an electrical switch to turn an electrical device (such as a light bulb) on and off. However, electrical circuits can also be wired to connect...

Cord switches are easy to install and allow you to control lighting without resorting to inserting and removing the outlet plug. There are a wide variety of switch models available, so you should...

A three-way dimmer switch allows you to control a light fixture from two or more locations. This type of dimmer can be installed in existing three-way-controlled locations by replacing one of the...

Fluorescent lights are very energy-efficient and produce a significant amount of light. They brighten up any room they are installed in. This makes them a great choice for basement lighting, as...

Wall switches sometimes break or wear out over time, necessitating replacements. The most common type of light or wall switch is referred to as a "toggle switch." These switches can be found at...

Even though the term "single pole switch" sounds as if it's meant to control one light fixture, the device can control several fixtures. Wiring a single pole switch is not a difficult task, and...

Rope lights are the perfect answer to provide lighting around the house, particularly during the holidays. Rope lights come in large strands that are easily unrolled and can illuminate Christmas...

If you have a light that will not turn on, your first response will be to change the bulb. After this step, you will probably check the circuit breaker or fuse box to see if the socket is...

Most copper wire, whether solid or standard filament, is only available with pre-wrapped rubber insulation. This is to protect the internal wire from damage and also protect users from exposed and...

Electricity will always seek a path to ground. The National Electric Code describes a number of acceptable methods to ground a residential system. The path to this grounding system must be...

Lighting fixtures come in many different styles that can add ambiance or utility to a room. Fixtures can be controlled by a wall switch, a dimmer control or a pull chain and most will accept...

When your line is dead, noisy, or having some other issue, how can you decide if the problem is due to something inside (where you may have to have it fixed on your nickel), or outside (so the...

Residential electrical diagrams vary according to what the diagram is for and who is compiling the information. These kinds of diagrams are helpful in aiding homeowners in not only wiring their...

There are two basic ways to wire two or more light fixtures together -- in parallel and in series. Most homes feature parallel wiring. Parallel wiring allows the other lights in the circuit to...

A number of things can cause an electrical device, such as a lamp, vacuum cleaner or small kitchen appliance, to stop working. Especially if it is a complex piece of equipment, like a computer or...

For the most part, a light switch is a simple, yet durable controller that is built to withstand thousands of toggles. But even the most expensive light switches will eventually wear down. Knowing...

Before you start any home project that involves working with American electrical outlets, having the skill to identify exactly what it is you will be working with is important. Usually it isn't...

In situations where aesthetics are less important than simply having an easy-to-install bright source of light, like in a shop, garage, basement, or greenhouse, hanging a flourescent light fixture...

Fishing electrical wire is a technique for routing power wires in confined spaces, typically behind walls, for safety and aesthetic reasons. The wire can be guided behind a wall with a fish tape;...

Wear and tear on electrical cords is nothing new to the homeowner. Whether it is a lamp cord that keeps getting tripped over or an appliance cord that is worn from moving around, following a few...

Hanging a new light fixture in a child's room can add to the decor or theme of the room. There are lots of fun lights to choose from, and if you get the child involved in picking it out it he...

Soldering is really an easy process. Its just one that needs to be learned before attempted, so that you don't risk hurting the joint your soldering, or causing unnecessary frustration. So learn away!

Adding an outlet from an electrical switch can be very simple or nearly impossible, depending on how the switch was configured in the original wiring of the house. If today's wiring allows it,...

Running electrical wires through an existing piece of conduit can help save time when you're running new wires. If the conduit is in place and has room for more wires, it is a simple process. You...

Whether you are looking to add a little ambience to a room or just save some money on your electric bill, a dimmer switch may be what you need. A dimmer switch replaces the standard on/off light...

If you pick up the telephone and get static, an intermittent connection or no dial tone, don't throw away your handset until you check your phone jack. Telephone jacks can stop functioning for a...

If you want to add an outlet to a room, you need to know how the electric runs in the walls. Punching holes in your drywall until you locate the conduit will work, but it will leave you with a...

When it comes to trouble shooting an electrical circuit one of the most simple tests is the continuity test. The name of the test implies what the test does, it tests for a continuous circuit,...

A push-button light switch controls the operation of a light fixture the way a traditional single-pole switch done, except instead of toggling the switch up and down, the user simply pushes a...

A double gang light switch is designed to fit in a single-gang switch box, yet it offers the capability of controlling two separate circuits. The switches are situated one on top of the other, and...

The National Electric Code requires a GFCI outlet to be installed in any wet location around the home, and any outlet within 6 inches of a sink must also be protected. Wiring a GFCI outlet is a...

A GFCI, or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, is an outlet that's designed to instantaneously trip when the voltage goes to ground. They are required for use within six feet of any wet location in...