Home Repair & Maintenance

The electrical breakers in the main circuit panel control the flow of power to the outlets and other devices in your home. It is important to keep them in good working order to prevent an...

Whether you have a sump in the basement or an outside cistern that needs to be manually drained or filled, you can save yourself the tedium of keeping a constant eye on them by installing an alarm...

Metal stud construction is gaining popularity in residential building. In metal stud construction, the walls are framed in lightweight steel members instead of wood. Installing wiring in a metal...

If you have heard strange rustlings in the attic or even seen signs of squirrels residing in your attic, you need to take action. Cute or not these rodents chew everything in sight and can do...

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...

Basic household extension cords are made with wires that will support a standard 20 amp flow. Heavier extension cords for the shop or garage can be found that will support a 30 to 40 amp flow...

Electrical outlets are the life source of power to our home, and connecting them safely and correctly is very important. The outlet is powered through the wiring from the main circuit panel in...

Electrical safety in the home is of the up-most importance, and installing a GFI/GFCI circuit breaker is the perfect way to protect you and your family. The GFCI, which stands for, ground fault...

There will come a time when a homeowner will have to replace or even add a circuit breaker to the power box (breaker box). Circuits wear out with time and they need to be replaced. This is a...

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...

Some lamps, especially very expensive or sentimental ones, are perfect candidates for cord repair in the event of a broken wire. Considering the alternative is disposing of the lamp, repairing a...

One of the trickier parts of doing your own electrical work is getting the wire from point A to point B. Quite often, there are obstacles in the way and more times than not, a floor or ceiling to...

In many older homes in the United States, the outlets are of the two-prong variety. Since two-pronged outlets are not grounded, it is essential to replace these receptacles with three-pronged...

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...

Garages are routinely used for much more than just as a place to store one's automobile. These buildings are often converted into workshops, craft studios or extra living space. In doing so,...

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...

Fluorescent light fixtures have evolved over the last few years. The fixtures no longer require a separate starter to turn the fluorescent light bulbs or tubes on. When the fluorescent light...

The heat sensor on the furnace works as a safety device. When everything is working correctly and the burners light up, the sensor allows the gas to stay on. If the burners fail to ignite, the...

This iron is a very handy tool for use on automobiles, boats, tractors and much more. Once you make this little gem, it can also be portable if you have a jump pack. For those of you who do not...

Having the right amount of access to electrical outlets in the home or garage is a necessity to getting your work done. Installing and wiring them correctly is equally as important. Always make...

Installing low voltage lighting is an easy way to add beauty to the exterior of your home. The lighting can also light walkways so as to make the exterior walks safer for you and your guests to...

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...

The National Electric Code (NEC) requires that ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) protect electrical circuits in specific areas, especially where water may be present. A GFCI receptacle...

Planning the work for an electrical project must be done carefully, and in steps considering all the correct information. One of the key processes in installing a new outlet and/or wiring, is...

In the past, a three-way switch circuit could only be controlled using two three-way switches. But these days, three-way dimmer switches allow you to customize the level of light put out by a...

The process of running wire through conduit is referred to as "snaking" or "fishing" the wire through the conduit. The best tool for this process is called a "fish tape." If the length of the...

The main circuit panel in a home is considered the heart of the electrical system. All the power from the lines outside flow into this panel, and from there are divided through the various...

Modern extension cords are made out of pure copper, which is commonly used for wiring applications and electronics of all types. Easily reusable, copper of any sort can be recycled at virtually...

If your TV reception needs a boost, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to build your own outdoor television antenna. Whether you want to scrap cable TV altogether, or just add clarity for...

Installing a wall outlet in a three-way switch circuit is identical to wiring a light fixture in the circuit. The most difficult part is keeping track of the various wires in the three-way wiring...

In the course of redecorating, you may have experienced the sudden loss of a light switch, only to find it hidden behind a large piece of furniture. In this case, you can rethink your decorating...

GFCI devices provide added protection against electrical fires as well as serious and potentially fatal shocks. These devices are required by code in any bathroom area, kitchen counter, outdoor...

Baseboard heaters are a popular, easy to use and relatively inexpensive home heating option. They allow for greater home efficiency than some other heating types by making it possible to control...

Working with or repairing electrical outlets is pretty straightforward when following a few guidelines. However, the most important thing to remember is that electricity is dangerous and can kill...

Installing a door jamb light switch adds the functionality of putting a light in a closet and the convenience of not needing to turn the light on and off manually. Additionally, a light switch...

Soldering is a method of joining two pieces of metal using another metal with a lower melting temperature. In the home, some electrical connections are soldered connections. Soldering provides a...

Fluorescent lighting uses less energy and creates less heat than incandescent lighting and is used in many commercial and residential applications. Workshops, garages and factories commonly rely...

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;...

A GFCI device monitors the electrical current going out of a device as well as the current coming back. If these vary, it is an indication of a short and the device will shut off all electrical...

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...

There are a number of different kinds of electrical hand tools, designed for many different industrial and home uses. As the name suggests, these are handheld tools used for small scale testing,...

Type NM electrical cable is the most common type of electrical cable used in residential construction. It comes in a number of gauges and conductor counts, with 12-2, 14-2 and 14-3 being the most...

A double pole single throw (DPST) switch controls the connections to two wires at once, where each wire only has one possible connection. In other words, it's like two simple switches controlled...

GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupt) switches monitor the electrical flow across a circuit and disengage the circuit if there is a drop. This drop in electrical flow is often referred to as a...

For most at-home welding projects, a flux-core welder is the best choice. As opposed to GMAW (gas metal arc welders), which need a large tank of shielding gas to accompany the welding machine...

Most homes require two types of breakers: 110 volt and 220 volt. It is the larger of the two, the 200-volt breaker, that should be used for your electric dryer. This type of breaker is typically...

Wiring a ceiling fixture is one of the easier electrical jobs a homeowner can perform. However, because the work being performed is overhead, there are steps you need to take to ensure the job is...

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,...