I have written this blog post to provide some direction to anyone trying to sort their own electrical problems. However before you read this I must make it clear that in most cases its much better to employ a qualified electrician to diagnose the problem and fix it for you, electricity is dangerous and should not be played with.
Some home wiring problems can be diagnosed and fixed without the potential for electric shocks – some problems are likely to give you a shock. Whatever the problem you should do everything you can to avoid being shocked. Even if you think you have turned off the right things you should treat them as if they are still live. You should also avoid any unintended tester or tool contact with live or ground parts as this can cause explosions and burns.
Circuit Repair
There is usually no need to repair or replace anything with he circuit still live, also some dimmers, and photocells have fragile components that will become damaged when exposed to a live load.
Repairing an item usually involves separating wires, improving connections, replacing a device or a connector. If you have wire damage this can usually be fixed by cutting the wire back or repairing the insulation using electrical tape to restore the insulation. If a device has been subjected to heat, arching or corrosion you will usually need to replace the device.
If you need to remove wires from terminals of plugs or switches you should depress the release using a small screwdriver and remove the wire, if this doesn’t work try rotating the device while pulling on the wire (not too hard as you can break the wire), if this doesnt work then just cut the wire close to the device.
Fuse Board Repair
If a breakers connection to its busbar has been arching, replacing the breaker will not fix the problem as the busbar will have been damaged in the process and will recreate acting conditions again. If it is possible you should relocate the new busbar.
When you are reconnecting wires to a new i usually recommend using side screws with the copper wire turned clockwise underneath them with no insulation.
When you are replacing switched receptacles or double circuit receptacles you need to break of the hot side of the tab so the top and bottom sides don’t interact – remember to leave the neutral side intact.
Splices underground need special connectors (this include aluminium wires as well)
