on video BEWARE Of These 3 Common Wiring Mistakes On Outlets & Switches

 

Doing it yourself (DIY) is often a great way to fix up your house and add value to one of the largest investments you will ever make. However, amateur electrical projects are a completely different story.

Here's a list of common home electrical mistakes made by well-meaning do-it-yourselfers. Unfortunately, these errors don't just endanger your electrical system itself; they can also create a potential fire hazard or electrocution risk. Beware!

Common Electrical Mistakes Homeowners Make

Improper Grounding/Bonding

Grounding is an important step in making your home electrical system safe. Basically, a ground wire channels electrical surges harmlessly into the earth.

Bonding entails connecting electrically conductive equipment to the system ground. Without this protection, you face the danger that the breaker won't trip when you get short circuits. Professional electricians know this, but many homeowners don't.

No GFCI Installed

The Canadian Electrical Code requires GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets for shock protection in all locations near water and/or the earth, such as kitchens, bathrooms, outdoors, etc.

Installation of a GFCI outlet is tricky, involving 2 sets of terminals; if it's done by a non-skilled individual, the terminals can easily be connected backwards. The result? No more shock protection.

Overloading Circuits

Professionals know how to test electric circuits for electrical load capacity to avoid overload. Amateurs, on the other hand, will often merrily keep adding plugs onto a certain circuit, which is not safe and may exceed the rating of standard 14-2 wire and 15Amp breaker.

Faulty Wire Connections

Another of the common home electrical mistakes is incorrect wire connections. They might be installed without a wire nut or with the wrong conduit fittings (which means that they won’t be watertight). If they are metal, then they're not properly bonded. Loose connections can create electrical shorts, your light bulbs to keep burning out as well as hard-to-diagnose issues downstream of the electrical connection.

Improper Junction Box

When adding a new light fixture or installing a new electrical outlet, a steel or plastic junction box should be used. In fact, anywhere an electrical connection is made, it must be within a proper junction box.

This safety rule is designed both to protect your electrical connections and to prevent the spread of sparks and heat if you have a short circuit or loose connection. Junction boxes can not be buried or hidden in walls, floors or ceilings; they must be flush with your drywall and accessible in case electrical repairs are needed.

 

Doing it yourself (DIY) is often a great way to fix up your house and add value to one of the largest investments you will ever make. However, amateur electrical projects are a completely different story.

Here's a list of common home electrical mistakes made by well-meaning do-it-yourselfers. Unfortunately, these errors don't just endanger your electrical system itself; they can also create a potential fire hazard or electrocution risk. Beware!

Common Electrical Mistakes Homeowners Make

Improper Grounding/Bonding

Grounding is an important step in making your home electrical system safe. Basically, a ground wire channels electrical surges harmlessly into the earth.

Bonding entails connecting electrically conductive equipment to the system ground. Without this protection, you face the danger that the breaker won't trip when you get short circuits. Professional electricians know this, but many homeowners don't.

No GFCI Installed

The Canadian Electrical Code requires GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets for shock protection in all locations near water and/or the earth, such as kitchens, bathrooms, outdoors, etc.

Installation of a GFCI outlet is tricky, involving 2 sets of terminals; if it's done by a non-skilled individual, the terminals can easily be connected backwards. The result? No more shock protection.

Overloading Circuits

Professionals know how to test electric circuits for electrical load capacity to avoid overload. Amateurs, on the other hand, will often merrily keep adding plugs onto a certain circuit, which is not safe and may exceed the rating of standard 14-2 wire and 15Amp breaker.

Faulty Wire Connections

Another of the common home electrical mistakes is incorrect wire connections. They might be installed without a wire nut or with the wrong conduit fittings (which means that they won’t be watertight). If they are metal, then they're not properly bonded. Loose connections can create electrical shorts, your light bulbs to keep burning out as well as hard-to-diagnose issues downstream of the electrical connection.

Improper Junction Box

When adding a new light fixture or installing a new electrical outlet, a steel or plastic junction box should be used. In fact, anywhere an electrical connection is made, it must be within a proper junction box.

This safety rule is designed both to protect your electrical connections and to prevent the spread of sparks and heat if you have a short circuit or loose connection. Junction boxes can not be buried or hidden in walls, floors or ceilings; they must be flush with your drywall and accessible in case electrical repairs are needed.

 

Doing it yourself (DIY) is often a great way to fix up your house and add value to one of the largest investments you will ever make. However, amateur electrical projects are a completely different story.

Here's a list of common home electrical mistakes made by well-meaning do-it-yourselfers. Unfortunately, these errors don't just endanger your electrical system itself; they can also create a potential fire hazard or electrocution risk. Beware!

Common Electrical Mistakes Homeowners Make

Improper Grounding/Bonding

Grounding is an important step in making your home electrical system safe. Basically, a ground wire channels electrical surges harmlessly into the earth.

Bonding entails connecting electrically conductive equipment to the system ground. Without this protection, you face the danger that the breaker won't trip when you get short circuits. Professional electricians know this, but many homeowners don't.

No GFCI Installed

The Canadian Electrical Code requires GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets for shock protection in all locations near water and/or the earth, such as kitchens, bathrooms, outdoors, etc.

Installation of a GFCI outlet is tricky, involving 2 sets of terminals; if it's done by a non-skilled individual, the terminals can easily be connected backwards. The result? No more shock protection.

Overloading Circuits

Professionals know how to test electric circuits for electrical load capacity to avoid overload. Amateurs, on the other hand, will often merrily keep adding plugs onto a certain circuit, which is not safe and may exceed the rating of standard 14-2 wire and 15Amp breaker.

Faulty Wire Connections

Another of the common home electrical mistakes is incorrect wire connections. They might be installed without a wire nut or with the wrong conduit fittings (which means that they won’t be watertight). If they are metal, then they're not properly bonded. Loose connections can create electrical shorts, your light bulbs to keep burning out as well as hard-to-diagnose issues downstream of the electrical connection.

Improper Junction Box

When adding a new light fixture or installing a new electrical outlet, a steel or plastic junction box should be used. In fact, anywhere an electrical connection is made, it must be within a proper junction box.

This safety rule is designed both to protect your electrical connections and to prevent the spread of sparks and heat if you have a short circuit or loose connection. Junction boxes can not be buried or hidden in walls, floors or ceilings; they must be flush with your drywall and accessible in case electrical repairs are needed.

 

Doing it yourself (DIY) is often a great way to fix up your house and add value to one of the largest investments you will ever make. However, amateur electrical projects are a completely different story.

Here's a list of common home electrical mistakes made by well-meaning do-it-yourselfers. Unfortunately, these errors don't just endanger your electrical system itself; they can also create a potential fire hazard or electrocution risk. Beware!

Common Electrical Mistakes Homeowners Make

Improper Grounding/Bonding

Grounding is an important step in making your home electrical system safe. Basically, a ground wire channels electrical surges harmlessly into the earth.

Bonding entails connecting electrically conductive equipment to the system ground. Without this protection, you face the danger that the breaker won't trip when you get short circuits. Professional electricians know this, but many homeowners don't.

No GFCI Installed

The Canadian Electrical Code requires GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets for shock protection in all locations near water and/or the earth, such as kitchens, bathrooms, outdoors, etc.

Installation of a GFCI outlet is tricky, involving 2 sets of terminals; if it's done by a non-skilled individual, the terminals can easily be connected backwards. The result? No more shock protection.

Overloading Circuits

Professionals know how to test electric circuits for electrical load capacity to avoid overload. Amateurs, on the other hand, will often merrily keep adding plugs onto a certain circuit, which is not safe and may exceed the rating of standard 14-2 wire and 15Amp breaker.

Faulty Wire Connections

Another of the common home electrical mistakes is incorrect wire connections. They might be installed without a wire nut or with the wrong conduit fittings (which means that they won’t be watertight). If they are metal, then they're not properly bonded. Loose connections can create electrical shorts, your light bulbs to keep burning out as well as hard-to-diagnose issues downstream of the electrical connection.

Improper Junction Box

When adding a new light fixture or installing a new electrical outlet, a steel or plastic junction box should be used. In fact, anywhere an electrical connection is made, it must be within a proper junction box.

This safety rule is designed both to protect your electrical connections and to prevent the spread of sparks and heat if you have a short circuit or loose connection. Junction boxes can not be buried or hidden in walls, floors or ceilings; they must be flush with your drywall and accessible in case electrical repairs are needed.