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t0907.txt
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1994-09-08
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0907 WIRING AND LIGHTING TIPS
Electrical safety basics
Understandably, most people feel some trepidation about working on their home's wiring. After
all, electricity can cause a nasty, occasionally deadly shock, and could under certain
circumstances even set the house on fire. That's why it's essential that you always follow these
procedures when dealing with electricity.
1. SHUT OFF ALL POWER to the circuit you'll be working on - or the entire house if you're not
sure which fuse or breaker controls the circuit.
2. DOUBLE-CHECK WITH A TESTING DEVICE to be absolutely sure the circuit is dead.
3. TEST YOUR TESTER. Try it out on a circuit you know is live. If it doesn't indicate current,
replace the tester.
Stripping and splicing wires
Before you can do much of anything with a wire, you must remove enough of its insulation to
make a secure connection with another wire or an electrical device.
Remove the plastic sheath from nonmetallic sheathed cable with a cable ripper. Slip six to eight
inches of cable into the ripper's jaws, squeeze and pull. This slits open the sheathing without
damaging the wires inside. Now peel back the sheathing and any paper or other filler material.
You'll find two or three separately insulated wires and a bare ground. Cut off the insulation and
paper with a utility knife, taking care to not nick insulation on the wires.
You can quickly remove the insulation from these wires with either the cable ripper or
combination pliers. Locate the size of the wire on the tool's jaws, clamp down and pull the pliers
or ripper away from you. The insulation will pop right off.
Splice wires to each other with a solderless connector, sometimes called a Wire Nut, which is a
popular brand name. Some types screw on, others must be crimped with the jaws of your
combination pliers. With either type, lay the wire ends side by side, twist them together with
lineman's pliers and turn or crimp on a connector. Make sure that no bare wires show and that all
wires are locked securely into the connector.
Installing receptacles
Tired of a paint-globbed receptacle that holds plugs with only the feeblest of grips? Armed with
just a screwdriver, a neon test light and some know-how, you can install a new one in 15 minutes
or less and that includes a couple of trips to the service panel to cut and restore power.
If the existing receptacle is an old-fashioned, two-slot non-grounding type, you might be able to
replace it with a safer three-hole version. To find out, remove the wall plate, leave the power on
and touch one probe of the tester to the receptacle strap or box . Insert the other probe into each
of the slots. If either lights up the tester, you can install a three-hole type. If not, get a two-slot
receptacle or - better yet - run a separate grounding wire.
To replace a receptacle, shut off the power, test to be sure and remove the hold-down screws. Be
sure to note which wires are attached to which terminals before unfastening them.
Newer receptacles have push-in terminals as well as screws. Whichever you use, connect white
wires to silver terminals, black to brass. If you find a pair of bare wires in the box, ground the
receptacle's green screw to them with a short piece of green wire and a solderless connector. If
there is no bare wire but you've determined that the box is grounded, run a jumper directly from
the receptacle to a screw in the box.
Installing switches
Switches install in much the same way as receptacles, but most switches have just two terminals
and any white wires in the box bypass the switch.
CAUTION: Shut off power to the circuit.
Test for current with the switch in its ON position. Touch the tester probes to the terminals. If the
tester doesn't light, remove the screws holding the switch's ears to the box. Disconnect the wires
and attach them to push-in or screw terminals on the new switch.
Finally, tuck the wires and switch back into the box and tighten the hold-down screws. Don't
force anything - switches crack easily.