This week is dedicated to highlighting ways that homeowners can save a lot of money and increase the value of their home by taking on some projects on their own. I am starting with what I consider one of the simplest and most rewarding projects. That is basic electrical work.
Let me define what I mean by basic. This includes
- Changing a light fixture or ceiling fan
- Changing out ugly or faulty outlets or light switches
- Moving or adding a simple outlet or light switch
What I do not consider basic
- Anything to do with the electrical panel
- Any significant amount of rewiring
- Any issues on the outside of the house
With most home improvement lessons, one of the best parts, from a money-saving perspective, is if you have to call in a professional, you will have a better understanding of what they are doing and the potential effort involved. This will give you better negotiating power. Each of these posts will be broken down into specific sections. These are terminology, tools, and procedure.
Remember, this post is intended to encourage those that have done little to no DIY projects to try it. This is not intended to be a stand-alone how-to guide. There are plenty of other sites that will give very in-depth details about the specifics of your project. That said, I would be happy to point you in the right direction if you are not finding answers to your project on your own.
So let’s begin.
Terminology
Electrical Box – used to refer to any type of housing for a light switch, outlet, or fixture. Wire is fed into the box and connected to the switch, outlet or fixture. In general, they are either mounted to a stud or have ears that pinch the drywall to stay mounted.
Electrical Wire – casing that houses the hot (black), neutral (white) and ground (green) wires. These feed into the boxes and where you will split the three wires and connect them to the outlet, switch, or fixture. Ask at the hardware store about the gauge for you.
Wire Nuts – used to connect wires from electrical wire to fixture being installed.
Electrical Tape – black tape used to insulate exposed wires. It will primarily be used with the wire nuts to make sure connection stays together.
Electrical Panel – device that receives electricity to your home and distributes throughout the house, also known as a breaker.
Tools
Phillips head screwdriver (older outlets and switches may use a flat head screwdriver)
Depending on the job, you may also need
- Wire Stripper
- Utility Knife
- Wire Nuts
- Electrical Tape
- Electrical Box (only if you are adding a new outlet, switch, or fixture)
- Electrical Wire (only if you are adding a new outlet, switch, or fixture)
Procedure
| Replacing a switch or outlet | Replacing a light fixture or ceiling fan | |
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1 |
Turn off the proper circuit on the electrical panel | Turn off the proper circuit on the electrical panel |
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2 |
Use the voltage tester to make sure no hot wires are still in the electrical box | Use the voltage tester to make sure no hot wires are still in the electrical box |
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3 |
Use the screwdriver to remove the face plate | Use the screwdriver to remove the old fixture |
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4 |
Use the needle-nose pliers and screwdriver to remove wires from old outlet/switch | Remove mounting bracket, wire nuts and electrical tape from the electrical wire |
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5 |
Attach wire using pliers to new outlet/switch – black wire to gold screw, white to silver, and open wire (ground) to green – if it is an older house, you may not have a ground wire | Follow directions for assembling fixture/ceiling fan |
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6 |
Screw new outlet/switch into the box on top and bottom tabs (make sure that it is straight and that wires behind it fit) | Install mounting bracket that comes with new light fixture |
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7 |
Attach faceplate | Connect electrical wire to right wires on fixture by twisting together with wire nuts and securing with electrical tape |
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8 |
Turn panel back on and test outlet/switch | Screw fixture/fan into the mounting bracket and follow any other directions specific to the fixture |
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9 |
Turn panel back on and test fixture |
- If the wire isn’t long enough or not coming apart from the item needing replaced, you can use your utility knife to get more slack.
Adding a new outlet, switch or fixture
| Adding a new outlet, switch or fixture | |
|
1 |
Locate the box that you will feed the new wire to (if you plan to come from a wire directly that is not in an electrical box, you must house your new connection in a junction box) |
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2 |
For the wire identified to feed your new wire, (ensuring the power is off), disconnect it from the outlet that it is attached to |
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3 |
Remove the casing with wire strippers and cut the wire in two |
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4 |
Using wire nuts and electrical tape, connect the three black wires, then white, then ground (all separately) |
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5 |
Route your covered wire to the location of your new box |
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6 |
If the space is down to the studs, you will drill holes through the studs to get the wire to the desired location. You will also mount the box on a stud. |
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7 |
If the space has dry wall up, cut a hole into the drywall and mount the box |
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8 |
Feed the wire into the box and follow the steps above as if you had already removed an old outlet/fixture |
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9 |
If you are installing a switch to a new light, you will then have to route new wire to the light being installed. |
Conclusion
The great thing about these projects is that they do not take very long, require few tools, and you see results quickly to keep you motivated. I must stress one more time that this is an overview for readers to get motivated to save money by taking on some simpler renovation tasks on their own. If you feel confused or overwhelmed, get help with the project!
What projects do you have coming up? Please don’t hesitate to ask if you would like me to give you more specifics on a project like this. Once you get comfortable with this, you can make a little extra cash by helping others put up fixtures or change out outlets and switches.