Most do it yourselfers will quickly grab a saw or hammer, maybe even a concrete trowel, and launch into a project without fear. This is usually not the case when that scary electricity is involved. What is it that makes us so hesitant? My conclusion is that what you don’t know could kill you, and most home project people have not taken the time to understand the basics about the electrical system in their home. It is not my plan to give you step-by-step instructions for wiring your own home, but I will try to dispell some of the mystery and “fright” factor involved.

• Rules. Electrical work is very logical, based upon very specific rules and methods. If something is not working in the system, there is a discernable reason and a process of troubleshooting through which you can track down the problem. It is much less complicated than electronic devices (like DVD players and TVs), having only a few different components that do very dedicated kinds of jobs for us.
• At the Center. The Main Panel is the heart of the home electrical system. This is the place where the Utility company’s power supply (usually 220 volts with three wires) is attached to your home through a meter that measures the amount of energy you use over a period of time. Power moves through the meter and into the Main Breaker which distributes the power (110 volts each side) onto two metal (usually aluminum) bars. Individual breakers are attached to those two bars and when turned “on”, pass electricity on to whatever “load” (dryer, furnace, lights, receptacles) they are connected to by way of wire running throughout your home. Even though it may be inconvenient to do so, one way of limiting your exposure to “live” power in the main panel, is to turn off the main breaker whenever you are making changes in the main panel enclosure, keeping in mind that the large wires coming in from the meter are still “hot” and need to be avoided at any exposed point (bare wire) where they are connected to the main breaker.
• Loads. There are wires hidden in your walls and attic and perhaps under your floor. These carry power from the main panel to a variety of power “users” called loads. In each room you will see receptacles which are wired into circuits (a few of them chained together on one wire leading back to the main panel). When any appliance, lamp or other power user is plugged into a receptacle, it draws power from the panel, through the wire, through that receptacle. Most rooms have a light switch and a ceiling light fixture. The switch acts simply as a “break” in the power until you turn it “on” and power moves from the panel through the switch and onto the light. Some specialized receptacles are found at electric dryers and electric ranges. These are connected to special breakers that take power from both of the bars in the main panel, carrying two 110 volt circuits to provide one 220 volt circuit. Other 220 volt circuits can include water heaters, air conditioners, spas, welders and shop power tools.
• Hots, Neutrals and Grounds. Black wires are attached to breakers in the main panel. Sometimes there are two wires (one black, one red) to form a 220 volt circuit as mentioned above. The white wires are attached to a special bar in the panel called a neutral “buss” which is also connected to the neutral wire from the power company. Ground wires are usually bare copper (can be green coated or aluminum) are also attached to the neutral buss in the panel. A ground wire is connected to a “grounded” source such as a galvanized water pipe, rebar embedded in the foundation or footings, or a grounding rod driven into the ground outside (different rules apply throughout the country).
• Alternating Current. AC is the name given to household current (power flow) and describes the back and forth pulsation of power from hot to ground and back which takes place 60 times a second. I remember as a child when my hometown converted from 40 cycles to 60 cycles. The lights were brighter and no longer had the flicker of the slower pulsations.
• Do It Yourself. There are some excellent resources available at libraries, building supply stores and online to walk you step-by-step through the wiring of each of the devices I have mentioned above. Be careful to follow the instructions, especially any safety warnings. Here are a couple of online resources: Chiff.com (has lots of links to other electrical sites) and About.com (a discussion forum where you can ask any electrical question).

Fear Not! Do your homework and then do your electrical repairs and additions.

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