If you are considering attempting electrical repairs yourself, it is important to know what to do before you do so. This way, you can avoid potential injuries and damage to your home.
One of the biggest risks of DIY electrical repairs is fires. This can cause serious damage and even death.
2. Turn Off the Power
You need to know how to turn off the power before you attempt any electrical repairs. This is one of the safest and most important things you can do for yourself or for your family. The fastest way to shut off the power is to flip a breaker or remove a fuse, but this can leave some residual electricity in the circuit.
A breaker that is stuck in the “on” position may be a sign of a shorted device or too many things running at once on the circuit. You can reset this breaker by unplugging any devices that are connected to it and carefully plugging them back in. This should allow the lights and appliances to be restored, but you’ll need to do this again if it doesn’t work or the breaker continues to trip afterward.
Before you attempting any electrical repairs, make sure that the power is off by using a voltage tester. This will allow you to check whether the wires have melted or if there is any residual electricity left in the circuit. This can prevent you from getting hurt or damaging any wiring while troubleshooting the issue.
If you’re unsure of the location of the main electrical service panel, ask your electrician to locate it for you. This is where the incoming electricity from the electrical utility gets sent to the various branch circuits in your home.
Inside the main service panel, you’ll find rows of individual circuit breakers and a single main breaker on top. Each of these breakers is labeled with a list that describes which parts of your house it controls.
To shut off an individual circuit breaker, you need to open the door and flip the lever to the off position. This will de-energize that specific receptacle or fixture and keep it from being re-energized by the next switch.
Some receptacles and fixtures have a ground-fault interrupter (GFI) built into them. These devices can also be tripped by turning on them and then off again, depending on how the GFI has been configured.
When the power comes on, unplug all your appliances and electronics from the circuit breaker to prevent overload. This will protect your equipment and ensure that the breaker doesn’t have to work harder or take longer to reset. Alternatively, you can call your local utility company to have them come and fix the problem.
3. Don’t Touch the Wires
If you’re doing electrical repairs on your own, it is important to keep in mind that no wire or component is completely safe to touch. Making contact with an electric current can cause severe burns, shock and even death.
One reason this is so dangerous is because of how electricity works. As you may know, the electricity travels through your body from the live wire to the neutral wire and then through the ground (the Earth). When you touch a hot wire with another live wire while both are at different voltages, the body completes an electrical circuit and you will receive an electric shock as the electricity flows through your body and the ground.
This is why it’s important to never touch the wires that connect to the power outlets, switches or light fixtures in your home. Make sure you understand what each wire represents and know the correct way to connect it to each outlet or switch.
Mistakes such as connecting the black hot wire to the neutral terminal of an outlet can cause an electrical shock or worse. This is a common mistake for homeowners who are doing electrical work themselves or hiring local handymen to do the work, according to ESFI certified electrician and residential safety specialist David Beck.
A faulty neutral connection can trigger a short circuit, which can be incredibly dangerous because the electricity will flow into places you don’t want it to. Typically, this happens when there isn’t enough insulation between the neutral wire and the hot wire.
Similarly, loose attachments and damaged insulation systems can also lead to unsafe wiring. This is a problem that can only be repaired by an electrician.
It’s also important to check the connections on switches and receptacles to make sure they are tight and secure. This means checking the screw terminals on each device to see if they’re made with push-in fittings or if the connections are done with wire nuts and other sanctioned connectors.
It is especially important to check the connections on switches and swivel plates for backstabbed wire connections, which can cause an outlet to overheat. This is a very common and dangerous mistake, so if you notice it, make sure to fix it as soon as possible.