How to Work Safely With Electricity

Working with electricity in your home can be tricky at best. Remember to unplug appliances and trip circuit breakers to outlets and switches to work with electricity safely. Use electrical gloves and safety glasses at all times. When testing an outlet or switch for voltage use a voltage tester. Some handymen prefer a multi tester to test for amps, voltage and ohms at one time. This is the cheapest and most practical way to safely test electricity. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Safety glasses
• Electrical gloves
• Voltage tester

1. Test instruments that work with electricity by using them on plugs or switches that you know are functioning properly. This also tests the accuracy of the instrument and helps in setting it up to detect problems.

2. Protect yourself by wearing rubber boots or shoes with rubber soles. Also stand on something rubber like a rubber door mat. Use both hands while working with the electricity. Keep the spare hand out of harm's way by putting it in your pocket. This way you don't touch anything turning you into a live circuit.

3. Work on wiring outside and in high places with a buddy. This way there's someone there to hold the ladder.

4. Write a note to put on your circuit breaker box to remind other members of your home not to touch it and that you are working with the electricity. Most circuit breaker boxes have a listing of which circuits control which areas of the house. However, at times with remodeling those wires get changed and the listing may no longer be reliable. When working on outlets, plug in a lamp to test if there is electricity to that outlet.

5. Work with only the smaller wires in a service panel box. The large cables coming out of the service panel are live at all times even though the power is off in your home. Look for any signs of wear and tear on the cables, and call the electric company if you suspect anything wrong.

Tips & Warnings

• All home wiring carries 120 volts of power at all times. Work safely, and have a friend around to work with you if possible. Keep a cell phone or cordless phone nearby in case of emergencies.
• Avoid contact with anything metal while working with electricity. Touching anything metal like a pipe, for example, completes the circuit and allows the electricity to flow through your body giving you a shock.
• Never work with electricity while you are standing on a wet floor or while you are wet yourself. If you feel tired, do not attempt to work with electricity, as you could possibly make a mistake and risk serious injury.