Home Improvement Electrical

There are millions of homes in the United States that have a ticking time-bomb somewhere in the structure. Between 1950 and 1980, Federal Pacific Electric Company (FPE) sold most of the circuit breakers installed in homes in the US. There is still widespread confusion about the safety of FPE circuit breakers and panels.

A failed sump pump can be a nightmare situation. Ankle deep standing water in a basement after a sump pump fails is no picnic. But what if that standing water is energized and capable of delivering a lethal shock?  Shouldn’t sump pumps be on a GFCI protected outlet?

Downlights, also referred to as recessed lights, are a very popular and cost-effective way to provide lighting to your living spaces. They are installed in both new constructions and home renovation projects, providing many advantages to homeowners that lack the space for traditional lighting fixtures. Recessed lights can be easily tucked in between ceiling joists to add extra lighting and ambiance, with the need for pendant or freestanding fixtures.

Adding baseboard heating units to an existing home is one way to increase the heating capabilities quickly and efficiently. Electric baseboard heaters are relatively easy to install and comparatively cost-effective. Providing the electrical power to baseboard heating can be challenging. Many homeowners wonder if they can wire a baseboard heater to an existing electrical outlet.

Every homeowner understands the importance of electrical safety. Sure, this isn’t something one thinks of daily, as usually there isn’t cause to think about the electrical systems in your home. You turn your lights on, use appliances, and go about your day without considering all that’s required to reliably provide your home with electricity day in and day out.

Challenger circuit breakers and service panels were popular during the 1980s and 1990s. Thousands of these Challenger electrical systems were installed in homes built during this period. Unfortunately, experience showed that certain Challenger circuit breakers overheated during normal use. If you have Challenger components in your home, it is critical to replace those breakers. Replacement breakers for Challenger products are available.

When you get shocked by an appliance you thought worked correctly it can be startling or downright scary. This shock is reverse polarity, and it can be a very serious potential problem.  It damages electronics and can even cause severe electric shock. This problem is fixable. There are even simple ways to test for it.

Electrical wiring is not only for the main areas of the house anymore. Modern homes may see electrical wiring throughout the property, running into sheds, garages, and even patios or decks. It only makes sense with the prevalence of flat-screen televisions as they can be placed just about anywhere with a simple electrical connection.

You may find a situation where you need an electrical outlet under the sink cabinet in your kitchen. The most obvious reason would be the installation of garbage disposal in a sink that was not previously equipped. If a dishwasher is installed, you may also need an outlet under the sink to provide power to the dishwasher. From the standpoint of electrical codes, is it legal to put an electrical outlet under a sink?

Choosing a new breaker is an important decision. Your home’s electrical system is comprised of several fail-safes meant to keep both you and the breaker safe. Homeline and QO breakers are among the most popular and effective on the market, so how are they different?

It’s no secret that heating your home with electricity can be expensive. Because of that, it may have crossed your mind to share the burden with a neighbor instead of paying for everything on your own. That begs the question: is this even possible?

Circuit breakers are one of, if not the most, essential parts of your home. Without an effective breaker, you would have no power for anything in the house. No appliances would work, you would be without heat or air, and you wouldn’t be able to have internet or entertainment.

How many people does it take to change a light bulb? This old joke comes with a variety of tongue-in-cheek answers. However, when we start talking about changing a light switch, the jokes die down a bit. Changing out your old almond light switch for a more modern look is not as hard as it may seem. However, if you are new to the game, it is better to call an electrician or try it out under the eye of someone experienced in the field.

When you first have kids or get a new pet, one of the things that you need to do is consider baby-proofing your home. There are a lot of hazards in and around your home that you may need to watch out for. For example, almost everything electronic can be hazardous to young kids. That’s why people are told to get tamper-resistant receptacles. But, what on earth is a tamper-resistant receptacle supposed to be?

Any outdoor electrical circuit should be protected by a GFCI breaker somewhere in the circuit. GFCI circuits protect you from an accidental shock be interrupting the flow of electricity when an electrical fault is detected. Sometimes, an outdoor GFCI outlet will trip after a rainstorm.

If you have gas-fired appliances such as a water heater, space heater, or cookstove, these appliances may have one or more thermocouples.  If you begin to experience problems with the pilot lights on these appliances staying lit, you probably have a bad thermocouple.  But, how do you know if you have a bad thermocouple?

Every house seems to have that one light switch that controls nothing. I have several in my house. It can be quite frustrating, but fear not! There are a few ways to hunt down what your mystery switch controls.

What do you do when the power goes out? It’s usually from a storm and involves the whole house, right? But what if there is no storm and power is out in just one room? That could be a sign of something completely different.

Your new workshop is sitting happily behind your landscaped backyard. The only thing lacking is electricity in the shop. Unfortunately, the pedestal that holds your electric meter is on the other side of your beautifully landscaped backyard. Ditching to run the electrical lines underground would destroy much of your landscape. You wonder if you can run electrical conduit above ground?

If you take a look at most suburban homes, vinyl siding is the classic go-to. It’s everywhere! Though vinyl is going to be one of the most common siding types you may see, cedar shake is still fairly popular in upscale neighborhoods. They tend to get a good rep. If you’re ready to upgrade your home’s exterior, then you might be wondering what you should choose. Honestly, it’s a rough debate.

Whether you’re in the midst of a new construction project or rewiring a house, purchasing electrical wire is a must. The overall price of wires varies based on material and square footage, but there’s more to the story, too.

It’s a no-brainer as a homeowner to know that things will need to be replaced and upgraded over time. While people know to get new appliances or furniture, they often forget about things like an electrical panel. 

You may be building your new dream home, remodeling your present home, or simply upgrading the insulation on your attic. Batt or loose insulation is often the easiest for the do-it-yourselfer to install insulation. Many homeowners wonder if you can put insulation over the electrical wires in your home.

Often times, when builder-owners plan to rewire a house, it is to protect the drywall from fire hazards. Things get slightly complicated, however, when builder-owners are faced with the thought that they may have to remove drywall. You don’t need to worry, because you can rewire a house without removing drywall, and it’s easier than it sounds.

You may not know the term ‘recessed lighting,’ but you’re guaranteed to have seen it somewhere. These ceiling fixtures, which create nice ambient lighting, are a worthy addition to any home. But it can be tough to know which kind of recessed lighting to buy, and if a pro should install them for you. Let’s discuss the question, can a handyman install recessed lighting? 

Upgrading your home can be done in a variety of ways. Some folks pursue those upgrades by redesigning their home, building new rooms, or perhaps purchasing more appliances. In the long run, one of the best upgrades you can secure for your home is a replacement electrical panel.

The purpose of light switches and dimmers is to open and close electrical circuits, which control the light fixture. Before installing or replacing a light switch, it’s important to ensure that the switch you choose matches the amperage rating and voltage of where it’s going to be mounted. For this reason, you may find yourself asking: What amp light switch do I need?

It is easy to understand why electrical wiring needs to be protected from damage or exposure to the elements. Your local electrical code will often require that electrical wiring be run through a conduit of some kind. There are a variety of different conduits available. EMT (Electrical Metallic Tubing) and rigid conduit are two of the most common. It is important to understand the difference between these two products.

Are ungrounded outlets safe? No, definitely not. Ungrounded outlets are NOT safe. They’re significantly more dangerous than grounded outlets, and that’s why the National Electrical Code, in 1947,* began requiring certain areas of new constructions to have three-pronged, “grounded” outlets. Ungrounded outlets don’t protect against surges and significantly increase the risk of electrical fires.

As the US moves away from incandescent light bulbs in favor of LED lighting, there are some issues to consider. Many people are unfamiliar with the operating characteristics of LED light bulbs and have questions about replacing their incandescent bulbs. One often asked question is about using dimmable LED light bulbs in sockets not equipped with a dimmer switch.

Your circuit breaker is a crucial part of your electrical panel that functions as a safety precaution should too much power pass through the wires. Rather than letting the power surge through the wire, it will temporarily shut off to protect the breaker and the electrical panel.

Once, not too long ago, I saw something a little strange happen to a friend’s house. The lights started to dim. Getting any type of electrical equipment seemed to be a big issue. The entire house seemed to be suffering from low voltage, despite the electrical wires outside being totally intact. One of my friends suggested that a bad breaker could be the cause, but is this really a possibility?

Installing a new light fixture looks to be a simple operation. Two wires to connect and hang the new light fixture. Then you take down the old light fixture and find a mass of white, black, and red wires. There is an instant flash of panic as you try and figure out how to wire the new light fixture. Which of the black, white, and red wires do you use?

Recently, I typed up an entire article about the way that dimmer switches run hot. As someone who grew up in a home where dimmers were a thing, I was pretty shocked to hear how hot they get. Dimmer switches apparently have a reputation for that. Unsurprisingly, some people believe they’re unsafe. I can’t blame them, if they never experienced it. It’s a debate worth discussing. Are dimmer switches safe?

Electrical tape is a valuable tool for any home DIYer. This type of tape insulates anything that conducts electricity and is commonly used to wrap bare wires or insulate cables. Electrical tape has properties such as low conductivity and high heat resistance, making it an excellent choice for minor repairs.

Mobile homes offer the chance to reduce costs and move in quickly. Land preparation is much easier and cheaper than building a traditional brick-and-mortar home, and that makes mobile homes quite enticing. So, how much does it cost to hook up electricity to a mobile home?

People often tend to forget about things they grow used to in a home. A water heater is one of those appliances that are well hidden we tend to forget. The only time we know, it is there is when the hot water is not working.

New appliances or new tools in your garage workshop may have you wondering about getting enough electrical service to those outlets.  You know you need more amps but aren’t sure how to accomplish the upgrade.  This situation leads to the question, how to increase circuit breaker amps?

That combination light, heater, and fan in your bathroom has finally gotten so noisy that you can’t stand it anymore.  Working with electrical circuits in your home is usually a job for a trained and licensed electrician.  However, if you are replacing an existing unit, this project is well within most homeowner’s abilities.

Many homeowners get confused about their electrical system when talking about neutrals and grounds. This confusion can lead to questions about how the circuit breaker box in your home is wired. Is it permissible to have the neutral wires and the ground wires in your home’s electrical system connected to the same bus bar in the electrical panel?

Many people refer to the voltage at the electrical outlets as 110 volts. Others routinely call these 120-volt outlets. If you plug almost any appliance into these plugs, the appliance works fine in either instance. Do some power companies deliver 110 volts and others 120 volts? What is the real story about 110V vs. 120V?

A ballast is a passive electrical component used to limit the amount of current in an electrical circuit. Ballasts are used in industrial fluorescent lighting and typically last upwards of twenty years. However, cold environments and bad light bulbs can reduce their lifespan.

Outlets allow us to power the modern necessities in life, running electricity to our lighting, appliances, or phone chargers. Having outlets in convenient locations around the house is ideal and can help make life easier. In most modern homes, there is usually at least one outlet on every wall. To keep homes safe, code dictates how many outlets can go onto a 15 amp circuit, standard for most homes.

Dealing with wiring can be very intimidating. We all know the risks that come with handling wires, but it is necessary from time to time. Still, minimizing risk is possible as long as you abide by established safety guidelines.

So, you live in Illinois, and you are updating or remodeling your home. As you begin the demolition, you immediately find that all the electrical wiring inside the walls is metallic conduit.

Light switches are a major feature in the electrical system of a home. They are located in every room and some rooms have multiple switches. The switches in older homes were not grounded but due to new safety regulations, many new construction homes do have grounded light switches.

In North America, 240 volts of electricity are supplied to a panel. The 240 volts are split between two 120-volt circuits.

If it’s time to update the switches and sockets in your home, you may be considering a range of options. Additionally, you are probably considering what kind of finish you want; nowadays brushed chrome, nickel, and brass are popular options.

Electrical service is a hallmark of modern civilization. Having electrical service is so common we tend to take it for granted. However, there are times when electricity becomes a problem. An arc or short circuit in an electrical system can quickly start a fire you our home. Many people wonder if an electrical fire can be extinguished with water?

If your light switch is hot to the touch, it could be related to a few different reasons. But the biggest thing to note is a hot light switch is a fire waiting to happen. As soon as you notice the temperature is warmer than warm, call a professional right away.

If you have a light switch that you hardly use, it might be more beneficial to convert it into an outlet. But can that even be done? The answer is a resounding yes!

So, you went to your friend’s house the other night for some backyard conversation and wine and fell in love with their yard. It was relaxing and comfortable, and those string lights in their trees were the perfect finishing touch. Now you want to hang string lights in your backyard, but you don’t have any trees.

Saving energy isn’t just good for the environment; it’s also great for your wallet, as consuming excessive energy only serves to increase your energy bills each month. Smart power strips have become more popular because many homeowners believe they can save money. So, do power strips save energy?

LED floodlights are some of the brightest lights on the market right now. A properly functioning LED floodlight will illuminate a significantly wide area, and this is why these lights have “flood” in their name. They essentially flood a space with light, as opposed to spotlights and downlights that usually only illuminate a small area.

House rewiring is one of the heftiest projects a homeowner can expect. Nonetheless, it is a necessary one to keep your house safe and compliant.

The shock of a massive electric bill is enough to make any homeowner want to curb their energy consumption. Whether it be in the dead heat of summer or the harsh cold of winter, you can’t simply go without heating or cooling. Luckily, there are some great ways to reduce your electric bill and save energy.

Modern homes are filled with all sorts of electronic conveniences. Many homes come with switches that can turn on a light or device from multiple locations. These switches, called 3-way switches, are a very common convenience in many homes today. But What do you do when the switch is only working when both switches are turned on?

We are fortunate in the US to have one of the most stable and dependable electrical systems in the world.  Most of us don’t give a thought to coming into a dark room and flipping an almost silent switch to bring light to the darkness. However, it can become disconcerting when a simple light switch starts to buzz.

Electricity is everywhere in our lives. It powers our lights, our workplaces, and our world. So that means that we should all be very familiar with all things electricity, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, as useful and as necessary as electricity in our lives, most of us only have a novice understanding of electricity at best. And that means if you are working with electrical wiring, it is good to know some ground rules (pun intended), like  when to use conduit for electrical wiring.

In new homes, if you open up your outlet, you will usually see two wires. One entering and providing power to the outlet, the other exiting and providing power to outlets downstream. There may sometimes be a third wire to ground the outlet, or to provide power to a downstream line in another direction.