Five Home Electrical Tips For Do-It-Yourselfers

Remember that electricity can be dangerous to work with and it wouldn't be a bad idea to get a couple of books to familiarize yourself with your home electrical system. If you don't understand the basics of electricity, you're probably going to have problems making successful electrical repairs to your home.

1. Electricity is one of the few things in your home that can actually kill you. Always remember that your main concern about doing any electrical repairs around your home will be your safety and those around you.

2. I don't recommend any do-it-yourselfers to work on the main electrical panel box. This is one of the most dangerous spots for anyone who isn't familiar with the basics of your home's electrical system.

3. If you're going to replace an electrical breaker, make sure that the main electrical breaker is off and it wouldn't be a bad idea, to switch the electrical breaker to the off position that you are planning on removing. This will prevent any electrical arching, just in case there is still electricity flowing through the breaker that you are removing.

4. Your light bulb isn't working and it needs to be replaced. Make sure that the light switches are in the off position, before replacing any light bulbs. If the light switch is in the on position, and you touch the wrong parts of the light bulb, while removing and replacing it, you could find yourself getting a nice jolt of electricity through your body.

5. If you're going to replace an electrical outlet or light switch and you don't know exactly which electrical breaker shuts off that one particular outlet, it wouldn't be a bad idea to shut the main electrical breaker off. Before you do this, make sure that there isn't anything on that could become damaged, like a computer or home security system.

If there isn't any electricity running through the electrical fixtures that you're repairing, there's a good chance that you won't get shocked. Use common sense and always think safety, while working with electricity.