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Welcome to Our Electrical and Appliance Articles. Bookmark my Feed!

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Any project which requires the use of tools carries the potential for injury. Use caution and your safety gear, this site won't be liable!

Here's our most recent electrical and appliance articles. Enjoy!

Green Building and Energy Efficiency Articles

• These articles have been moved to the Green Building and Energy Efficiency page.

Lighting Articles

• How to Troubleshoot and Fix Christmas Lights With an analog or digital multimeter, you can be ready for the holiday season in no time.
• Natural Light in the Kitchen Brighten up your kitchen with windows, skylights, and French doors.
• Recessed Can Light Installation Tips Install lighting fixtures that flush-mount to the ceiling; save money with LED spotlights.
• Dramatic Lighting Solutions for the Christmas Family Room Use holiday and Advent Candles indoors and exterior spotlights on Nativity scenes for a dramatic effect.
• Contemporary Pendant Track Lighting Add Modern Decor and Curb Appeal by Installing Classy Swag Light Fixture. What could add more visual appeal than pendant lights or track lights? How about the combination of the two, modern pendant track and monorail lighting!
• How to Install a Pendant Light Pendants make excellent accent lights all over the home. Installation is easy and straightforward.
• All About Fluorescent Lighting Fluorescent lighting is more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs (6X more light) or line voltage halogens. Switching your incandescent to CFLs will reap savings on your utility bill.
• Installing Undercabinet Lights Undercabinet lighting comes to the rescue for task lighting in the kitchen, work shop, and home office.
• The Benefits of LED Lighting. These lights burn cool, unlike halogen, make great Christmas tree lights, and recent developments have made them a more viable option for economical lighting.
• Save Money with Low Voltage Lights. Using energy efficient low voltage lighting works in landscape lighting, saves on electrical bills, and allows for precision lighting in kitchen work areas.

Wiring Articles

• The Hazards of Residential Aluminum Wiring Commonly substituted for copper wiring in the mid-60s to the early 70s, it was found to be a fire hazard; its use was banned.
• The Electrical Code is Critical for Exterior Landscape Lighting Leave it to the professionals? No chance! Unless their reputation is well-researched.
• Wiring Considerations for Exterior Landscape Lighting A step by step guide for choosing electrical switches and installing conduit and wiring.
• Troubleshoot and Repair a Doorbell Troubleshooting and repairing a doorbell is rather simple but it’s far from intuitive. You’ll need to follow a few basic steps and have a few basic tools handy.
• Map Residential Electrical Circuits The home circuit breaker box, also called the service panel, needs to have have clear labels that identify which of the home's electrical circuits are protected by which electrical fuse or circuit breaker.
• Standby Emergency Generator Basics When a natural disaster occurs, an emergency backup generator is as important as a disaster preparedness kit. Rolling blackouts in California, hurricanes in the southland, and ice storms across the US and Canada! Be ready with an alternate power supply and an automatic transfer switch.
• Electrical Ground Fault Protection GFCI outlets can save your life in the kitchen and bathroom. Older building codes didn't necessarily mandate them. But, if you don't have 'em, install 'em.
• Types of Residential Conduits There are several types of electrical conduit that are found in the modern home. Each is appropriate for its interior or exterior application.
• Typical Electrical Building Codes No matter where your home is located, you've got building codes to live and build by. This article gives you an idea of what to expect before you delve into the details of your local code.
• How to Wire a Utility Room Wiring your utility room? Follow these guidelines for maximum effectiveness.
• How to Wire a Bathroom Bath wiring is strictly controlled by local electrical building code to prevent mishaps and to put the outlets right where you need them.
• Tips for Planning Kitchen Wiring and Lighting Wiring or re-wiring during a kitchen remodel should be carefully planned out and done compliant to local building code.
• Understanding Home Wiring. Confusing to many homeowners, the home's electrical wiring system is actually logical but must be installed and maintained according to local building codes.
• Replace an Electric Light Switch Has a light switch, ceiling fan switch, 3 way switch, or garbage disposal switch gone bad? Learn how to safely remove the faulty electric switch and install a new one.

Air Conditioning and Heating and Ventilation Articles

• Heat Pumps are an Advanced Technology for Energy Conservation Reverse cycle chillers, split systems, cold climate, and all climate heat pumps explained.
• The Benefits of Ductless Mini-Split Air Conditioner Systems Offering peak energy efficiency and a federal energy tax credit, they are a great solution for room additions.
• Great Ways to Get the Most out of Your Air Conditioner The summer calls for cooling with a central HVAC unit, a window AC, or a heat pump. Periodic equipment maintenance is critical to energy efficiency. These tips will tell you how.
• Basement Ventilation Systems Basements should be well ventilated, especially if you plan to occupy the area. It will also minimize the possibility of toxic mold.
• How to Install a Power Attic Vent Power attic vents are activated by temperatures reaching a specified setting on a thermostat. Turbine (whirlybird) and ridge vents are considered passive components because air flow/negative pressure operate passive vents.
• Types of Attic Ventilation Vents Attic Ventilation is critical for removing heated air This eases the load on the central air conditioner system, thereby lowering utility bills. Common methods are roof vents and electric or solar-powered fans.
• Air Conditioning and Heating With a Heat Pump Modern heat pumps are incredibly efficient and that means bucks in your pocket. Variable speed blowers, scroll compressors, and more.
• Types of Air Conditioning Units There’s one for any situation. Find the one that's right for you and avoid the summer blues. Central air, portable A/C, swamp coolers, and more. Look for the Energy Star label.
• How Air Conditioner Units Work The energy efficiency of a central air conditioner is the SEER rating. Maintain it with periodic condenser and evaporator maintenance, and cleaning and calibrating your analog or digital thermostat.
• Residential Heating Systems Overview The different components of devices that comprise your heater are the heat production unit, heat exchanger, the ductwork, and the thermostat.
• How to Install a Ceiling Fan Using a ceiling fan allows you to set your thermostat higher in the summer and lower in the winter.
• Troubleshoot and Fix a Thermostat If your heating or central air conditioner just doesn't seem to be acting right, the first and easiest thing to do is check your thermostat.

Appliance Articles

• Top Hot Water Heater Maintenance and Repair Tips How to troubleshoot the circuit breaker, the thermostat, and the heating elements.
• Swimming Pool Heaters Explained As winter approaches, consider installing an in-ground or an above ground swimming pool heater. Doing so will extend recreational and lap swimming. Types include electric, solar-powered, gas-fired, or heat pump.
• How to Troubleshoot and Repair an Electric Range No doubt about it - no range, lessened cooking ability. Troubleshoot and fix it; you don't want to be a slave to the microwave!
• How to Troubleshoot and Repair Refrigerators Refrigerators are one of the longest-lasting and maintenance free appliances in the home. But, on occasion, things go awry. Find out how to troubleshoot yours.
• Troubleshoot and fix a Clothes Dryer Diagnose and repair your broken clothes dryer to avoid a costly service call by an appliance repairman.
• Benefits of the Tankless Water Heater This article compares the energy efficiency of a tankless water heater to a conventional storage water heater. Both electric and gas units save energy and save money.

Electrical Gadgets and Miscellaneous Articles

• What to Look For When Selecting a Garage Door Opener Consider horsepower, type of drive, noise generated, and how much home security it provides.
• Keeping Your Home Security System up to Date Your burglar or intruder alarm and home insurance coverage may be compromised during a remodeling project.
• Surveillance Systems for Home Security The use of video surveillance cameras, along with a DVR or VCR recording device, helps homeowners avoid to deter home break-ins or solve crimes that have been committed.
• Circuit Testing with a Multimeter. This little diagnostic device seems perplexing to the electrical neophyte. But this article is the Rosetta Stone of meters. Learn it, love it, live it!