No Man Around The House? Electrical Issues and Repairs Women Can Learn To Do

A single woman is often face with doing things around the house a man would normally tackle. Some women prefer to hire out these small jobs. Others would do it themselves if they had just a bit of coaching. If you happen to be one of those
women, here’s how to start doing some small, simple electrical tasks around the house. We're not talking major electrical issues. We are referring to simple fixes that come up from time to time around your house. Think of it as one more step towards self sufficiency and avoiding costly repairmen.

It doesn't matter where you start. You can learn to do many things yourself to make your life easier. You just need to start somewhere. Somewhere begins here with an easy guide that will allow you to learn how to handle minor, irritating electrical issues. Relax, electrical issues are easy if you understand what you should do to avoid getting an electrical shock.

Once you lose your fear of getting an electrical shock, there are a number of tasks you can tackle. Let's start with the electrical panel usually located in the basement, garage or in your utility room if you don't have a basement. The box
is usually a grey metal unit measuring approximately 18” wide by24” tall. When you open the door of the box, you will see two rows of circuit breakers inside. Each breaker have a toggle switch fitting. You will notice that the switches are all lined up in a row and all positioned the same way. They should all be in the ”ON” position. If you have decided that you want to replace a switch, or a light fixture, chandelier, overhead fan, or a dimmer switch, you can do it.

If your home has been wired professionally, each breaker is numbered. On the inside of the door you should find, next to the breaker number, a description of which section of your home each breaker is connected to. Once you identify the area where you will be replacing a ceiling light fixture, switch or plug or adding a dimmer, simply switch the breaker to “OFF” and the power to that section is shut down. That means you can put your dainty little paws right on the wires and parts of the piece you are replacing without getting your hair curled. You have mastered the basics of simple electrical repair

Start at the electrical box where all the circuit breakers are and flip the breakers to “OFF “ position. Hopefully the panels have been marked to indicate which circuit each breaker is wired to. Once you find the right circuit and flip it off, you can go about your task of replacing the errant electrical component without fear of getting zapped. That's half the battle Ms. Electrical Whiz, and you are on your way to mastering the elements of electricity.

How do you replace a wall switch, dimmer, etc.? Once the power is off, simply remove the plate covering the switch or outlet plugs and remove the defective part. You might want to make a simple schematic that shows how the to reconnect the
wires, usually a matching color to color process. To be sure you buy the right item, Take the part with you to the hardware store and ask someone to help you match up the correct replacement item. Big Box stores are fine if you can get over the dazzling but possibly confusing array of electrical components available. A better choice might be a local family hardware store where you can speak to a helpful owner who will be happy to assist you in selecting the parts you might need. That connection will prove valuable over time as you gain confidence in handling numerous other self fix projects around the house.

When you get back home, review the schematic you made, then install the part. You may need to practice connecting wires with the plastic connectors, but the process is simple and directions are to be found in the box. ( Always twist the wires you are joining to the right) When it's all back together, turnthe circuit breaker to the “ON” position. You have just completed your first electrical repair. After tackling a few easy fixes such as this, your next repair might be a light fixture. Your confidence will continue to build. You have mastered the basic theory and method of dealing with small nagging electrical issues.

As long as we have touched on thesubject of circuit breakers and electric panels, you now know where to look if for some reason a string of lights or small appliances stops functioning, and a circuit blows. That usually indicates that there are too many appliances drawing power from a circuit. When you look inside the circuit breaker panel determine if the breakers are at the “ON” position. The circuit that was overloaded has shut down. It is in the “OFF” position.

Before you flip it back “ON” take some of the load off the circuit.  You should unplug or turn off some of the fixtures that were being used. Now you can head back to the electrical panel box to flip the breaker back on. Once done, your power will be
restored and you will be operational. To avoid tripping the circuit again, plug items into different plugs that are on
a separate circuit.

You can accomplish most of these electrical fixes with only a few simple tools:

small screw driver

medium screw driver

pliers

wire cutter

Now that you have staked a claim to these tools, consider them yours and keep them all together in a
small plastic tool box. Who knows, your neighbors may call on you when they have an electrical issue