MAIN Home Life Home Improvement Electrical

Minor problems with light fixtures or electric outlets in your house are a good time to get into do-it-yourself mode. A two plug outlet where only one plug works or a light fixture that sputters on and off are annoying and easy to fix yourself.

Safety is a key issue when doing any kind of home improvement project — especially when a repair calls for messing around with live wires, outlets, ceiling fans installations or light fixtures.

Those who have attempted a home electrical project and failed will admit that the results can be, well, downright shocking...

Major electrical work usually needs to be done by an electrician licensed to work in your area, but minor repairs to appliances, outlets and other wired objects in your home can fall into the do-it-your category as long as you make sure that the power is off before you start!

If you are working on any sort of wiring project, it is important to use the right wiring and connectors. For example, inside wiring that stays warm and dry will not be safe to use in external outlets where water can be a hazard.

If you are not sure that you have the proper equipment, ask someone who has experience or get an electrician to do the work. Poorly done wiring work can cause fires and electrical shocks. Normally, you can ask at the shop when you buy your supplies to make sure that your wiring will be safe.

You can definitely save money and aggravation with do-it-yourself electrical repairs. Start simple and take on the more complicated projects after you've gotten familiar with the process by doing the easy stuff.

Whether a do-it-yourself job around the house calls for fixing a light fixture, hanging a ceiling fan, installing a doorbell, or rewiring an heirloom lamp start with some tips from online experts before you begin the project.

Get clicking over to these top sites offering detailed instructions for the home electrician and see what advice the online do-it-yourself gurus have to offer...

Hometime: Electrical Projects - Detailed info on getting started, installing light fixtures, service panels, common electrical codes, running cable, installing outlets and switches, troubleshooting guide and a related glossary.

HomeTips - Home Electrical System & Lighting - An online encylopedia of home improvement & repairs with tips on everything from installing dimmer switches to practical tips for hanging Christmas lights. Tool around the rest of the site for more on installing flat screen TV's, advice on home energy conservation, and related resources.

DoItYourself.com: Home Electrical Wiring - Interactive tutorials and guides to basic electricity and wiring, installation and repair, home automation, and miscellaneous projects including wall outlets and switches, phone systems, doorbell installation/repair and lots more.

Electrical-online.com How-to Home Wiring Articles - Just what it says with detailed tutorials on electrical safety, grounding, electrical codes, 3-way and 4-way switches, lighting, ceiling fans, doorbell systems and more.

Handyman Wire - Electrical - Feature articles on typical home electrical projects, money saving tips, how-to's, forum.

On The House: Q&A - The Carey Bros. site with electric and lighting fixture tips, conservation and energy conservation guides, how-to's for appliances and more advice for every home improvement project.

DIY Tutorials - Insulation & Electrical - Watch & listen to online tutorials with complete instructions & how to's for installing dimmer switches and ceiling fans, with more on skylight and attic vent installation, from the DIY Network.

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