Welcome to my blog. My name is Deborah. About 15 years ago, I bought an old home. We worked with several contractors to rehabilitate it, but ultimately, the foundation simply wasn't stable enough, and we had to tear it down. After that, we worked with a construction crew to build a home from the ground up. The experience was exciting and challenging, and I learned a lot through that process. I want to share construction and contracting facts and information with others so I decided to start this blog. I hope that you like the results, and I thank you for reading. Enjoy!
Installing an electrical outlet can be a complicated and dangerous procedure if you don't know what you're doing. If you have any doubts about not being able to do it on your own, you should hire an electrician to do it for you. However, if you feel confident and have some experience in electrical work, then doing your own outlet installation can save you both time and money. However, in order to do so, there are a few things you should think about in regards to safety.
Cutting the power
The first thing you need to do as you're attempting to install an electrical outlet on your own is to cut the power to the circuit you will be operating with. This should be the first step to any electrical work you plan on performing. Use an electrical tester to see if the circuit is turned on. Then go to your fuse box to turn it off. After you've turned the circuit off, you should test it with the electrical tester again to make sure that it doesn't give off any electrical charge. It might also be a good idea to turn off all circuits that are close to the circuit you're working on to make sure you avoid electrocution.
Knowing where cables are located
You should also make sure that you know where all cables are located in your wall before you attempt to cut or drill in it in order to make room for the outlet. This is best done by using a cable detector, but you should also check any electrical blueprints you might have of your house to locate the wires in the wall. If you're not sure where the cables lie in the wall even after using these methods, then you should get a licensed electrician to do the outlet installation for you in order to prevent accidents.
Careful with cables
As you're stripping the wire you're using for the outlet off its coating, you also need to be careful not to make a mistake. The circuit should be dead, so you aren't risking electrocution, but the cable itself might be in danger. If you accidentally fray or damage the cable you intend to use for your new outlet, you shouldn't use the cable. A frayed cable might work with the outlet at first, but break after a while. It can also become a fire hazard as the electricity isn't directed properly, meaning you might cause an electrical fire that is difficult to put out by not being careful enough when installing the outlet.
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