Every Good toolbox should have a couple different types of Electrical Testers. For testing if electricity is present at a wall outlet you may want to use a non-contact electrical tester pen that costs about $10 and can sense electricity within a shielded wire and will light up to tell you the circuit is hot. This is very similar to a timing light that is used in …
Electrical & Lighting
How To – Installing An Electric Range Or Stove
Installing a new electric range is something that most home owners can do themselves with just a few simple tools and depending on where you purchased your range it may save you upwards of $150 on labor costs.
The hardest part physically will be moving the new range into position and removing the old one. Many appliance centers will have a free …
How To – Selecting Emergency Lighting And Flashlights
Whether you are trying to make it through a storm or find yourself on the side of the road there are times in all of our lives that we need some supplemental light.
In situations where a large amount of light is needed for a long period of time such as …
How To – Electrical Regulations Home Owners Should Know Before Work Begins
Before you begin your project or hire someone to do the work you should understand the basic requirements that need to be followed in order for your electrical upgrades or changes to be covered under your local or state electrical code.
Residential Electrical codes are different then those applied to commercial buildings but this does not mean they are not as important.
For …
How To – Kitchen Under Cabinet Countertop Lighting
When you are preparing food in your kitchen ambient light from ceiling fixtures is often obscured by upper cabinets. In this case you can find yourself cutting vegetables or doing other tasks in a shadow which can often be frustrating or dangerous.
Adding under cabinet lighting is a relatively easy process if you have access to electric but even if you don’t there are some lights that run off of battery voltage.
Most kitchens will have …
How To – Home & Business Security Camera Systems
There are a number of reasons to install a home security camera system and probably the biggest reason is to actually catch whoever is causing you problems.
While standard security systems are important they will only deter and report problems. Many will call you, the police or fire department as necessary but what if you want to see what is happening live or have it recorded for later.
Actually theft is not the only reason to …
How To – An Honest Look At Solar Elelctric And Hotwater Systems For Average Home Owners
There is news today that General Electric will be closing down their solar PV Electric Plant in the State of Delaware and it seems like a good time to go over how Solar Technologies can be put to use in our homes.
This is not in hopes of saving the company because they have been mismanaged to the point of failure and we will cover that in this howto but it is to explain how …
How To – Understanding Light Bulb Color Hues Vs Natural Light
The color of Natural Sunlight is always best for your health not only does it provide a spectrum of light where it is easier to read and see things it can also effect your psychological wellness.
We have all come across this before after spending many hours at work or school in rooms that seem to be well lit you get outside on a bright sunny day and it feels refreshing. Your eyes begin to …
How To – Surge Protectors For Home Electronics
Home Electronics cost a lot and it is important to protect your investments with proper care and planning. The fact is most homes will have a number of power surges throughout the day due to switching of internal equipment used by the electric company to feed power to our communities. And most of the time they go unnoticed but if you have a UPS device plugged in you are likely to hear it trip …
How To – Outdoor Holiday Lighting
As the Holiday season approaches quickly most of us will want to decorate our homes with outdoor lighting. This HowTo will cover some of your options and some safety tips that will keep your holiday happy.
First and most important is that you always look for an outdoor UL rating on any outside light that you install. This is true for holiday lights or basic landscape lights. Testing by …