Found 123 results for the keyword(s) ‘Electrical’

• Article

  Alternatives for bathroom supplemental heating.

  Need a little more heat in the bathroom? Here is a quick run-through of some of the possibilities for supplemental heating for this small room.You are probably familiar with ceiling mounted heat lamps, usually red. Are you aware that they now have "white" heat lamp bulbs as you see in the secon...
• Article

  Can I save money by turning my hot water tank off at night?

  Thomas from London, Ontario writes: "We have an electric water heater. To conserve electricity, I turn the heater OFF at its circuit breaker at night before retiring and then ON when I return from work. This usually gives plenty of hot water while at home. Does this cause any premature "wear ...
• Article

  How do you insulate an electrical mains box on a concrete wall?

  Kathy writes: "My electrical box is located in the "finished" half of my basement, however it is attached to the bare cement block wall and has a particle board cupboard built over it. I am getting cold air from the wall and presumably moisture as well. How do I insulate this cupboard and since...
• Article

  Can I put a dimmer switch on a three way hallway light?

  Rebecca from Cold Lake, Alberta wants to dim her three-way switchs. Can she do it? No and Yes. I know you like that kind of an answer. So read carefully. In fact I don't think I was perfectly clear about this when I did the segment on the TV show, judging by the confusion I heard after it wa...
• Article

  Fixing a bad wiring job.

  When you are working in an older house and pull down that ceiling light fixture, you may discover a wiring job that could be endangering your house. By code, and for good reason, all electrical connections must be made inside metal boxes that are accessible. That means that you don't cover junc...
• Article

  Light bulbs that burn out frequently in the Garage

  A fellow named H. from Moncton, N.B. has light bulbs that are constantly burning out in the garage. What to do?The filaments in regular incandescent light bulbs is relatively delicate, especially as it gets very hot. A garage ceiling often has more than it's share of vibrations with the opening...
• Article

  Can I put a dimmer switch on a ceiling fan?

  You cannot use a dimmer switch on a fan motor, but you can find fan speed controllers.Why? A regular dimmer switch simply reduces the voltage. That works with lights, but will burn out a motor (and maybe burn down the house).A fan speed controller is a much more complex electronic device that re...
• Article

  How to control bathroom fans

  The minimum control for a bathroom fan is a simple wall switch.Sometimes the bathroom lights and the fan will be tied together. Now when you have a noisy fan, this can be quite tiring, so to avoid the noise you use the bathroom in the dark.The biggest problem with the simple wall switch control ...
• Article

  Aids for one person measuring.

  Measuring by yourself can be a drag. Here are three gadgets to help you out.If you are working with metal studs, you can now find a tape measurer that has magnetic on the hook. That won't slip and you can even just put it on the surface of the stud and measure from there.To get the hook on your...
• Article

  Is knob and tube wiring safe?

  Knob and tube wiring is safe if it is in good condition and it is doing no more than it was designed to do. In fact it was an very good wiring system designed to keep the two wires far apart from each other and well protected as it ran through the house.What could make it unsafe?Rodents gnawing ...