Repairs to your home’s wiring and electrical systems should always be left to qualified professionals. However, there are still many steps you can take to restore power in the event of a outage, to increase energy efficiency, and to improve the safety and reliability of your home appliances.
Over the last 20 years, home appliances have become much more sophisticated, incorporating systems such as low-voltage lighting, underfloor heating, outdoor lighting, and powering sensitive electronics. It is not a good idea to attempt a repair yourself—find a reliable electrician to address any faults and install new fixtures. Meanwhile, get to know your system so that you can spot emerging problems before they become crises, and so that you know what to do in case of an interrupted power supply.
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Panel box The electrical panel is a box wired between your electricity meter and the electrical outlets in your home. Its job is to distribute power to subsidiary circuits, and protect these circuits from dangerous overloads. Older boxes contain fuses for this purpose, while modern ones have miniature circuit breakers (MCBs) that switch off the power if it exceeds a set value. The panel box may also contain a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). This detects the leakage of electrical current that may occur if your wiring is faulty, or if someone receives an electric shock, and cuts the power immediately. A main on/off switch in the box cuts power to all circuits in the home.
Keep a small flashlight next to your electric panel for use in emergencies—it’ll save you from hunting for a light in the darkness.
To restore power to a circuit within your home, reset the miniature circuit breaker in your breaker panel.
A hot plug on an appliance is unsafe, so don’t ignore the problem. If the appliance is plugged in via a power strip (a block that turns one wall outlet into several sockets), try plugging directly into the wall socket. If the problem persists, try lightly rubbing the prongs on the plug with fine sandpaper to remove any oxidation on their metal surfaces. Next, try replacing the plug or (if possible) the entire cable that connects to the appliance. A continued problem indicates a fault within the appliance or in the wall socket—don’t use either until they have been checked out by an electrician.
Check if the other nearby sockets are working. If not, you may have tripped a MCB or GFCI in the electrical panel (see opposite), so try switching this back on. Modern sockets may be fitted with their own, individual GFCIs on their faceplates—try pressing the “Reset” button.
If your problem persists, call in a professional.
WARNING
Even though some electrical repairs may appear simple, they may not be easy to carry out safely. Attempting to do it yourself may lead to death, injury, or fire, and leave you in breach of building laws and regulations. You should always contact a qualified electrician if in doubt.
DON’T OVERLOAD A SOCKET BY PLUGGING IN TOO MANY APPLIANCES—AVOID USING POWER STRIPS IF AT ALL POSSIBLE
Lighting technology has changed dramatically in the last decade with the widespread introduction of low-energy bulbs, but some common problems still have simple fixes. For example, dusting your light bulbs and fixtures with a lint-free cloth when they are turned off can boost light output by one fifth, saving your eyes and conserving energy, too.
The lifetime of a light bulb will be shortened by poor connections, overheating, and rough handling. CFL and LED lights are replacing traditional incandescent and halogen bulbs (see box, below) because they have longer lives and use less power, so it’s worth switching to these designs if you haven’t done so already.
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Incandescent bulbs These “classic” bulbs produce light when a wire filament is heated by an electric current.
Halogen bulbs These are a type of incandescent bulb that contains a small quantity of a halogen gas within the glass. They are longer-lasting and produce a brighter light than a classic bulb of the same size.
CFL bulbs Compact fluorescent light bulbs are basically fluorescent tubes that have been made in the shape of a classic bulb. They last about five times as long as classic bulbs and use around one quarter of their power.
LED bulbs These use an array of light-emitting diodes to produce light. They have very long life spans (up to 100,000 hours) and use around 80 percent less energy than classic bulbs, but are expensive to buy.
If a light doesn’t come on when you throw the switch, the tube’s contacts may need cleaning, or the tube may need to be replaced. Safely set up a stepladder so that you can reach the tube without overstretching (see here). Switch off the electrical circuit supplying the light at your panel box. Then climb the ladder and remove the cover over the fixture and pass it down carefully to a waiting helper.
WARNING
Don’t take any chances when working on a light fixture. Switch off the light at the wall and tape over the switch, and turn off the lighting circuit at the breaker panel.
• Dispose of fluorescent tubes responsibly at your local recycling center—they contain harmful chemicals and should never be thrown away with domestic waste.
Try checking and cleaning the bulb’s connections or replacing the bulb. If this doesn’t work, there may be a problem with the switch, especially if you can hear a buzzing or fizzing noise when the switch is on. You’ll need to call an electrician to install a new switch mechanism.
As dust settles on a chandelier, it dulls its light output and robs it of sparkle. Using a cloth to clean your chandelier can be an arduous job, so make life easier by buying a pair of white cotton gloves (available from home improvement stores). Switch off the light and remove the bulbs. Put on both gloves and moisten one with some window cleaning liquid; wipe each crystal with this glove first, then dry with your other gloved hand.