How To Do Electrics Or Electrical Repairs

I agree that the title of this article seems vague. But I think it would be a good idea to start by showing an awareness of the safety issues ever associated with the kind of work that people usually choose to hire professional electricians for. If you really are going to be installing anything to a circuit, always disconnect the mains before starting. Follow instructions carefully – if you are unsure at any stage do not delay seeking expert advice. And check that the correct fuses are used before re-connection to mains electricity is established.

I hope that anyone reading this (or anyone at all, for that matter!) has the sense to tell simple jobs apart from ones that require the examination and attention of a certified professional. But the title of this article is “How to do Electrics or electrical repairs”; which means that what follows is a brief outline for the most common electrical tasks pertaining to house maintenance.

Electric mounting box installation. A plastic surface mount box is necessary to surface mount a socket – and if the mounting box is to go into a cavity wall then you should have a shallow mounting box (25mm) present to prevent knocking through to the cavity. You may need to use a spirit level to ensure that it is horizontal. You will of course also need to have a drill, pliers and countersunk screws handy, as well as wall plugs. By the way, if it is going to be mounted on masonry, also be ready to use a pencil and a mason's chisel and hammer.

There are two kinds of power socket installation: one cable supply and two cables / loop. In both cases there should be three screw terminals marked: L for Live, N for Neutral and E for Earth. Put the red conductor in the live terminal, the black one in the neutral terminal, and the bare wire(s) covered with yellow / green sleeving in the Earth terminal.

When re-wiring a plug, remember: Blue to Bottom Left, Brown to Bottom Right and Green and Yellow to Earth.

With fuses: the power range for a 3 Amp fuse is 700W; for a 13 Amp fuse, it's 3000W. It is never a good idea to choose a fuse of incorrect size.

Other operations which most non-electricians are confident handling alone include choosing and preparing the flex and the cable, also extending a flex and routing a cable. For all other electrical repairs you should seek a professional electrician. Make sure you get up to 3 free quotes so that you can get the most competitive quote for your electrical job. It’s also wise to use a site which has reviews from previous customers and gives new customers an opportunity to put their comments about the electricians after the job is completed. A good site for this is http://www.toptradespeople.co.uk where you can get up to 3 free quotes from local, reviewed electricians.