Electrical Repairs You Can Do Yourself
Most people will do some minor home improvements. Fixing a leaky faucet or repairing a squeaky door is simple, but many people will shy away from electrical repairs. Whether people fear danger for themselves or causing more damage to their home, electrical fixes usually are left for the professionals, but here are four repairs that are easy to learn.
1. The doorbell won’t stop ringing, but no one’s at the door!
Assuming your problem isn’t a neighbor playing a joke, you should take apart your doorbell. The most likely problem is that the doorbell is aging, and the wires are shorting out. When you take apart the doorbell, which is safe because the doorbell doesn’t have much current running through it, you should see wires that are touching or that are frayed. You will need to purchase the same type of wire from your local hardware store and replace it.
2. I plugged something into my extension cord, but it’s not working!
The key here is to find out what is not working. Plug whatever you are connecting to the cord into another outlet if possible to make sure that it works. Then try something else, such as a living room lamp, using the extension cord. If the lamp won’t work, you need a new extension cord. If the lamp does work, then you need to use multi-meter on the ohm measurement setting to check the outlet compared to the extension cord, and one of the readings should indicate that a wire is broken because you will get an ohm reading of zero.
3. My cordless phone ALWAYS has a dead battery!
If the battery to your cordless phone doesn’t work, try cleaning the area where the phone sits to see if dust or dirt is the problem. Another issue may be the angle of the phone base, so move it around until you get the phone to hold a charge.
4. My Cordless Tool Doesn’t Have Much Power!
If your cordless drill doesn’t work as long as you think it should, the problem likely is not your home’s electricity but is your tool’s battery. Use the tool until the power is almost out. Then plug the charger into a different outlet and charge the battery fully. When the battery is charged, connect it to a multi-meter, which measures voltage. If the voltage reading is low with a full battery, you need a new battery.
