New Homes For Sale In South West Florida

Hot Wire MishapsFive Things to Do BEFORE Working on Electrical Problems


Many do-it-yourself (DIY) projects are trial and error. You may still laugh at your first attempted faux finish or the shelves that crashed to the floor five minutes after you triumphantly tapped the last nail in.

Electrical projects do not fall in the trial-and-error category. However, all homeowners do need to perform some basic electrical repairs. Before attempting to fix electrical problems, follow the steps below to ensure a safe and successful repair.

1. Do I have your permission?
Depending on where you live, you may or may not need a permit from your local electrical authority to do electrical work on your own home. According to the Oregon Department of Business and Consumer Services (ODBCS), homeowners do not need a permit to replace electrical devices or to perform the maintenance on an existing electrical installation. However, the ODBCS states that a permit is require to:
install or alter any permanent wiring or electrical device
run additional wiring, put in an electrical outlet or light fixture, install a receptacle for a garage-door opener, or convert from fuse box to circuit breakers
install or alter low-voltage systems such as security alarms or stereo or computer systems
The laws about permits vary from state to state, so be sure to check with your local office about whether you are required to have a permit or not.

2. Lights out.
Turn off electrical power at the source, through a circuit breaker. Even if you flip a wall switch, the related appliance or socket will still be live. Although many electrical distribution panels have a diagram on them detailing which circuit is hooked up to which breaker, do not trust them.

Check for yourself that the circuit is dead by using a voltage tester. For this part of the process a helper can be quite useful, to prevent you from scurrying to and from, from the circuit breaker or fuse box to test the circuit and back again. Tape the circuit breaker into the off position to ensure that no helpful person tries to restore power while youre working. Do not restore power until you have completed your work.

Although you can turn off a switch or breakers, the main wires entering an electrical distribution panel from the outside can not be turned off. Do not touch these wires, and do not go near them with anything metal. If you believe the problem lies with the service wires, contact the power company.

3. Getting shocked puts a damper on things.
Do not stand in water on a damp floor. This could result in a very dangerouseven life-threateningshock. If water is on the floor, put down a rubber mat to stand on. Ensure you yourself are not wet by wearing dry clothes. As always, if you have any doubts about the safety of the situation, call a professional.

4. Metal or rubber?
Metal is bad. Rubber is good. Metal conducts electricity, which means that if you simultaneously touch metal and a live wire, your body conducts current from one to the other. Not pleasant or healthy.

Rubber, on the other hand, is a nonconductive material and, therefore, insulates you from electricity. Use tools with rubber- or plastic-coated handles and wear rubber-soled shoes or sneakers. Safety glasses and gloves are not a bad idea, either, when feasible.

5. Test it out.
Once you have finished your repair work, flip the fuse or circuit breaker to return power to the area. Use a voltage tester to check and see if the appropriate amount of electricity is flowing. Conventional lights, receptacles, and appliances use 120 volts of electricity. Larger appliances such as air conditioners and electric ovens require 240 volts. Certain appliancessuch as doorbells and telephonesutilize transformers that convert standard power to a lower voltage (usually between six and 12 volts) for safety.

To improve your electrical skills, many DIY stores offer clinics and workshops. Learn from the pros and ask questions so you feel more prepared the next time electrical work is needed. If you have any doubt about your abilities or the safety of the situation, leave it to the experts. Go work on repairing your faux finish or build new shelves while youre waiting for your friendly local electrician to arrive. And when he or she does come to the rescue, watch and learn.

One mistake that real estate buyers often make is to forgo using the services of a qualified real estate agent.

Hot Water Heater Hook-Ups Made Easy


Hooking up a hot water heater is one of the most common home repair jobs there is. However if you dont know what you are doing, or dont know the first thing about hot water heaters, well then you could be in hot waterquite literally. But installing a hot water heater can actually be a rather easy thing to learn. You just have to make sure you read all the directions before you start so you dont get in over your head before you even start. The last thing you want to do is realize you cant do this and then be stuck without any hot water!

The first thing you have to do is the most obvious. You have to disconnect and remove your old hot water heater. Doing this is pretty easy. You just have to be careful. Remember it is full of hot water still. So, first turn off your gas or electricity that is connected to that water heater. You will then need to drain the water from the old unit. There should be a drain valve located on it. On a gas heater, separate the vent pipe from the draft hood. The hood should lift off after you remove the sheet metal screw that holds it. After checking that the pilot light is out, disconnect the gas line at the heater and cap it.

Next remove the water heater from the water pipes. Be careful when doing this because the pipes may still have hot water in them. This water is hot enough to burn you if you are not careful. You may need some pipe wrenches to get some of them off, but there should not be many connected so this step should not take too much time or effort. You may now take out the old hot water heater and throw it away. Many local and state laws have certain restrictions on the disposal of these, so check with the local authorities on the disposal requirements.

Now that you have the old unit out, it is time to install the new unit. Move your new hot water heater to its new home by using a dolly. You dont want to walk it or drag it. There are delicate parts inside that can be damaged if it is jolted or subjected to too much shock. Position your new heater so that the pipes will easily reach it. If you are using gas, you want to be especially careful that the gas pipe can reach easily to avoid any potentially dangerous gas leaks.

Next connect the hot and cold water. This is usually a simple process of connecting the new water heater to the same connections as the old water heater. Then you connect the third pipe to the main water line that distributes the water to the rest of the house. Refer to the user manual if there are no connections, or if you are confused as to which pipe goes where. This is the most common mistake made in installing a hot water heater. If you turn on the water and your cold water turns hot, and your hot water never heats up, go and switch the pipes.

Next you need to locate the relief valve on your newly connected hot water heater. The temperature and pressure relief valve is a very important part of your hot water system. The relief system releases excess heat and pressure automatically so that your hot water heater does not explode. It is a very important and a valuable safety feature that comes standard on all hot water heaters.

The last step in connecting your new hot water heater is connecting it to the power. You have to connect it either to the gas line or the electricity for it to heat the water. Refer to the instruction manual on how to do this.

If you follow the directions there is no reason that you can not successfully connect your new hot water heater. It is a fairly easy job. It just takes a little time and patience and anyone can do it. It is simply a matter of reconnecting to the new hot water heater, everything that you disconnected from the old one.