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Basic House Wiring | Wiring | Electrical | Repair

Basic House Wiring Rules
The first rule to remember is that basic house wiring can be dangerous. Never attempt to do it without a good understanding of how it works and safe work practices. This article is intended to provide basic information and is not a comprehensive discussion of all aspects of house wiring. See the article on 'Electrical Safety Tips for Homeowners' for more information.

In addition local and national electrical codes apply. You will need to consult your local building department to get information on what is acceptable for basic house wiring in your area.

Basic House Wiring the Safe Way
You never want to work on basic house wiring in your home with the power on. See the article 'Electrical Safety Tips' for more information. Just shutting off a switch is not enough. On the job electricians use lock out tag out procedures to make sure circuits are not inadvertently turned on while they are being worked on. You turned off the switch, so everything is fine right?

It is much safer to turn the circuit off at the panel before working on the device. Someone could accidentally turn on the switch by mistake and an accident ensues. You should additionally tape off the breaker and mark it as being worked on. Does you teenage son know where the electric panel is? What will he do if his stereo or video game goes off?

Electric Toolkit is an easy to use collection of electrical wiring diagrams, pinouts, electrical calculators and other useful reference for home wiring projects. The Electric Toolkit includes:

- Seven 3-way switched wiring diagrams are different - Basic light switch wiring diagram - 4-way switch wiring diagram - Multiple wiring diagram switches - Wall outlet wiring diagram - Table ampacity to determine the right wire gauge - AWG resistance table - Max number of conductors in the channel table - General size of reference sheet of wire - Entrance Service Land Size Requirements table (Based on NEC 2008, Tables 250-66) - Grounding conductor size calculator (NEC 2008 and NEC 2011, Tables 250-122) - Ohm's law calculator - The size of a Circuit Breaker calculator (NEC 2008 and NEC 2011, 240-6 (a)) - Voltage decrease calculator - Wire ampacity in Conduit: NEC 2008, 310.16 reference sheets - Wire ampacity in Conduit: NEC 2008, 310.16 reference sheets - Pinouts: Component, DisplayPort, DVI, Ethernet, Firewire, HDMI, mini HDMI, Micro HDMI, LPT (parallel port), PS / 2, RCA, Serial Port, S-video, USB 3.0, Mini-USB, Micro USB, USB, and VGA.

Types of Electrical Circuits
The main service panel or distribution panel as it is sometimes called, branches out into several circuits. Some circuits are just for outlets in your home and others are for lighting.

You also have what are called 'Dedicated Circuits' for special items such as a furnace or washer and dryer. When a specific item stops working the first thing to check is the breaker for that item. Your panel should have labels for what each circuit breaker is assigned to.

Circuit Breaker Types
The main function of a breaker or fuse is to keep circuits from overloading. Wires and devices are only rated for a certain amount of current. If too much electricity passes through a wire it will overheat and can cause a fire.

Circuit breakers are designed to trip when the amount of current exceeds a certain level. This is a safety feature that is required by code. Breakers are also used to regulate the power to certain devices, some requiring a little power, others require a lot of power.

Newer circuit breakers can also detect shock hazards and arcing conditions. Again, safety features to prevent fires and injury. This article provides information on how the various types of breakers work and the issues that arise.

- Electrical Wire Types
- Adding a Circuit to a Panel
- Residential Wiring
- Installing Electrical Fixtures
- Problems With Electrical Circuits
- Basic House Wiring Summary

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