The Complete Idiots Guide To Electrical Repair

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eletrical Repair
......Page 1
Cotents
......Page 6
Foreword
......Page 19
Introduction......Page 20
Part 1: The Basics: Outof the Dark Ages......Page 23
Fear of Frying......Page 25
What Is Electricity Anyway?......Page 37
History Lessons......Page 49
If Your Walls Could Talk......Page 61
More Wall Talk......Page 75
When You Buy a House......Page 89
Part 2: Safety, Tools, and Contractors......Page 103
Caution Signs and Safety Concerns......Page 105
Call Me Sparky
......Page 119
Extension Cords and Multiple Strips......Page 133
Electing for Electricians......Page 147
Part 3: Components and Simple Repairs......Page 157
Switches and Receptacles......Page 159
Replacing Old Switches and Receptacles......Page 171
Lighting Up......Page 193
Light Fixes......Page 209
Working Around Existing Wiring......Page 227
Trouble, Troubleshooting, and Safety......Page 245
Part 4: Power Hungry......Page 255
Service with an Attitude......Page 257
Adding New Circuits......Page 269
Kitchen Power......Page 273
Bathroom Wiring......Page 285
The Great Outdoors......Page 297
Electric Heat and Air Conditioning......Page 309
Part 5: Refinements......Page 321
Workshops, Offices, and Generators......Page 323
Your Own Hi-Tech Revolution......Page 339
Alarms, Detectors, and Security......Page 355
More Low-Voltage Wiring......Page 371
A Few Alternatives......Page 381
Putting It All Together......Page 395
Appendix A: Resources......Page 407
Appendix B: Glossary......Page 409
Index......Page 413