Solve Home Electrical Problems Yourself !

• Electrical outlets not working or ...
• An outage from a circuit breaker tripping or ...
• Several lights that blink strangely or ...
• Receptacles dead because a tripping GFCI won't reset...
• Or three-way switches having trouble?

Decide how you will use this site:


• "I don't want to learn so much stuff myself, just enough to see if I can fix this one problem..." Are you in luck! I make myself available 14/6 (really!) to help you by E-mail or Phone.

 
• "I may have a Common or simple problem that might be answered quickly in a FAQs format, or with a little guidance from a Diagnostic tree."

 
• "I need to understand my electrical system better first"... Then go study the Background page and diagrams.

 
• "I know enough about breakers, outlets, and circuits, but I need tips on troubleshooting and testing"... Then go to the Troubleshooting page for step-by-step help to find the cause of your problem.

 
• "I've tried myself, but now I just need an expert to review my problem and give me a fresh approach to it"... Good. I'm generally available to help by E-mail or Phone.

Welcome, -th visitor since April 2005! What if this site ever becomes unavailable? You'll be glad to know that most of this electrical advice is available as a download or book called Circuit Down. Give yourself, or a DIY-er you know, the gift of Detective Larry's experience and his 35 diagrams and charts. It is available online from Lulu (the download), Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Tip of the Day: The word "receptacle" sounds like something receiving. But the word "outlet" sounds like something giving. How can they both refer to the same thing? An outlet is giving electricity out, from the perspective of the electrical system. But from the perspective of you, the user, a receptacle is receiving your what you plug in, in order to run a lamp or such. - Detective Larry     ...More Tips of the Day.

Navigation:    Besides using the sidebars, these may help:

• This Site Map lets you look by categories.



• This Within-Site Search lets you find the words you are after:

Brand New Pages: Would you like some instruction on How the wires connect in a switch, light, or outlet box? Includes diagrams. Designed especially for when you have disrupted some connections and need to see how to get them back right... I also have this similar new Electrical wiring connections diagram page that will eventually show almost all possible wire connections/functions for up to four cables in various size boxes (up to 3-gang, plus light boxes).

The Scope of This Website: These pages have been designed for the DIY homeowner who faces home electrical problems, that is, electric malfunction issues in his/her household electrical wiring system. The site is not oriented to helping with design, installation, or with remodel projects. [More geared to these are such sites as this well-written one and electrical-online; but I would avoid ehow.com as unreliable based on this page, where for three years they have been advising wrong and dangerous ways to test outlets.] Some books are better at wiring projects than most websites.
The concept is Home Electrical Troubleshooting:
1. "Home" includes any residence: a house, condominium, apartment, or mobile home.
2. "Electrical" - meaning the alternating-current house wiring system, from power company equipment, through circuit breakers or fuses, to plug-in outlets, electrical switches, and some of the appliances and fixtures operated by this current.
3. "Troubleshooting" here means the process of investigating and fixing home electrical problems; the site is not concerned with upgrading or preventive maintenance, except as these activities may result in a new problem.

Some who need to find this site's material may be searching with terms found in this statement: "When I replaced a toggle two way switch with a rocker tree way switch, the GFI breaker switch wall socket popped off. I guess I need help to trouble shoot my house hold electricity. Cant a GFCI circuit or GFI switch handle a 3 way circuit? I don't want any wall outlets (recepticles) to go bad or get dim from a bad breaker. I want a free electrical advice website and to learn home electrical repair."