Liter Electric

Liter Electric

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!

About the Author

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