It is practically impossible to imagine a home without electricity. What is more, it would probably take some time to number all the electrical appliances we use in our households. Naturally, due to everyday use the malfunctions of the electrical wiring frequently happen. Calling a certified Electrical Systems Services expert is obligatory when serious issues are in question while the majority of smaller ones may be handled by the owners or tenants themselves. That is, if they have at least the basic knowledge needed to fix them. Therefore, here are a few things you should know that will make basic home electrical wiring issues easy.
Wire colour scheme
Let us start by covering the very basics of electrical wiring. This is of extreme importance since electricity can easily become a deadly force if used inadequately. The black wire is always the “hot” wire. The red wire is a “hot” wire in the 240v setting, and can also be used for switch legs. The green one is the ground wire while the blue and yellow one can be used as “hot” wires or for switch legs. The blue wire is often used for travellers in three and four way switch applications.
Keep the boxes neatly packed
There is nothing worse than having wires hanging out of their wall boxes. Firstly, when in such a state they present a possible hazard. Secondly, it becomes a nuisance to install an outlet or a switch in a messy wall box, which ends up in having an aesthetically unpleasing spot on your wall, to put it mildly. To prevent this, handle the wires in the following manner. Use a long pigtail to gather all the bare ground wires and fold them back. Repeat the action with the neutral wires. Next, mark the hot wires with a connector cap and fold them back, too. This will both enable you to fit the outlet or a switch and easily identify the wires the next time you do something with that wall box.
Troubleshoot GFCI
One of the most frequent electrical wiring problems are various issues related to GFCI. These can be caused by several causes, such as light or any other appliance with a faulty ground that is plugged in somewhere downstairs, a circuit with the excess of cables in it, or a faulty GFCI itself, says trusted Sydney-based electrician . To determine the source of the problem, turn off the power to GFCI and take the wires out of the load terminals and use the reset button. If the GFCI trips when powered again, you will need to replace it. On the other hand, if it does not, the problem lies somewhere else and you will have to check the downstairs outlets one at a time. If the problems keep occurring once you changed all faulty outlets, it would be best if you replaced each of them with a tamper resistant GFCI.
Regardless of how careful you and your family are when using electrical appliances, various issues are bound to happen every once in a while. Having at least some basic knowledge comes in very handy and enables solving small issues without having to call for professional help. However, follow the safety routine and be ready to throw in the towel and call an electrician to be safe. Do not forget, the most important step is turning the power off. Also, attempt to fix solely those problems you are completely capable of solving. Leave all the rest to residential and commercial electrician services and save yourself from making things worse and having to pay substantially more for the damages created, than you would for hiring a professional to fix them in the first place.