Electrical
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How Circuit Breakers Work
Breakers tripping too often? Learn how circuit breakers work and how to calculate the safe electrical loads for the circuits in your house.
How to Replace a Fluorescent Light Bulb
When fluorescent bulbs go bad, there may be a problem with the fixture. Learn simple repairs for the most common problems.
How to Replace a Fluorescent Light Ballast
Replace the ballast when your fluorescent light flickers or makes an annoying hum. The repair will only take about 10 minutes.
Add More Breakers to a Full Fuse Box
Add tandem breakers to expand the available circuits in your fuse box (more accurately called a breaker box). But be careful. Only certain breaker slots will accept them.
Fix a Sensitive Arc Fault Circuit Breaker
Most of the time you can find the cause of nuisance tripping of an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) and correct the problem without calling an electrician.
Electrical projects
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Dealing With Electrical Wires That Are Too ShortWhen working with electrical, you will run into a situation where someone didn’t leave enough slack inside the electrical box.
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Preventing Electrical OverloadsElectrical overloads can be dangerous. In this article, we’ll explain how electrical circuits work, how to figure out which outlets are…
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Do it right. Do it yourself.The Family Handyman is proud to announce the DIY University. Courses that give you the confidence and know-how to get the job done right.
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Best Electrical TapeWhich electrical tape is best? A master electrician tells you why he chooses Scotch 33+ above all the others.
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Electrical Boxes: How to Add CapacityIf you’re adding wires or a bigger device to an electrical box, you may need additional capacity. There are two ways to enlarge an…
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How to Reduce Static Electricity in the HouseStatic electricity can be a real problem in winter, especially in houses with carpets and radiator heat. There are several simple ways to…
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Control Garage Electrical Devices RemotelyReplace any switch in the house with an X10 switch and you can remotely control electric devices in a detached garage—or anywhere else in…
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How to Use Cheap Electrical TestersWe’ll show you how to use inexpensive electrical testers to make electrical work safer and easier. We cover three testers—a…
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Power a Laptop or TV With a Car Power InverterPower inverters allow you to run low power AC electrical devices like computers, video cams and even TVs in your car. We tell you your options…
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9 Things Electricians Wish You Knew About BatteriesWe interviewed electrical engineer Maynard Guadiz to find out what we should really know about batteries and how to use them correctly.
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DIY Dictionary: Remodeling BoxWhat’s a remodeling box? Most electrical boxes in your home are nailed to the wall studs or ceiling joists before the drywall is hung. But…
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How to Use a Digital Multimeter and Analog MultimeterWe'll show you how to use this monster of a tool for troubleshooting almost any type of electrical wiring or appliance. Once you…
