Home Electrical Projects You Can Totally Handle Yourself

Tackling electrical projects around the house can sound daunting if you’ve never tackled one before. But just because the job involves some wires, that doesn’t mean you need to call in the pros. Here are eight common electrical repairs and replacements that you can totally do yourself. No prior experience necessary.

© Photo: Rosemary Woller (Shutterstock)
A cord plugged into an outlet

Most of what we’ll discuss below involves replacing fixtures. If your repair goes beyond that (say, rewiring a breaker panel or wiring up a new spot in your home), please consult an electrician. Even if you think you have the skills to do the job, there are building codes involved and you often need a permit.

First, make sure the power is off

We’ll start with a safety note: When it comes to performing any electrical repairs, make sure the power is off. Safeguarding your safety is just that simple. If there’s no power, these repairs are not only doable, but completely safe.

• Unplug it. If you’re working on an appliance that can be unplugged, always unplug it. You should be aware, though, that some devices may have capacitors that store an electrical charge even when unplugged. You should be able to confirm whether this is the case by consulting the manual or looking up specs online, but if you aren’t sure, go with a pro.
• Turn off the breaker. Hopefully, your breaker panel is well-labeled. If it is, just turn off the breaker that routes power to whatever you’re working on. If the person who initially hooked up the circuits did the job right, you’ll probably see labels like “outlets on north wall in den” or “kitchen and living room lights.”
• Find the right breaker. If your breaker panel isn’t well-labeled, it’s usually not too hard to find the right breaker. If the plug or light switch you’re working on still works, turn it on. Go to the breaker panel and start turning off breakers one at a time until you get the right one. If it’s an outlet, plug in a light and keep flipping breakers until it turns off. Obviously, if you have someone helping you out, this can go a lot faster. If you are repairing something that doesn’t work, you can always use a multimeter to test whether it’s still getting power.
• For maximum safety, turn the main power off. If you’re not sure you’ve found the right breaker and you don’t have a good way to test, you can always turn off the main power for the house. The advantage here is that you can rest assured you’ve killed power to whatever you’re working on. The disadvantage is that you won’t have power for your tools or light to work by unless you have an alternative source.

After you’re absolutely sure you’ve disabled power to the right thing, check it again. Now, on to the repairs.

Replace a light switch

Perhaps your light switch has gone bad or you just want a new look or type of switch. Replacing a light switch is a simple project. After you’ve turned the power off, all it takes is a screwdriver, a pair of pliers, and a few minutes.

The first thing you need to do, however, is make sure you’ve got the right kind of switch. The nomenclature can be a bit confusing, but the concept is really not. There are several types of light switches.

• Single Pole Switch. A one-pole switch controls one light fixture from a single location, such as a bedroom light with a single switch as you walk in the door. This is the most common type of switch you’ll find in homes, and the installation process is pretty simple, as you’ll see in this video from Ask the Builder.
• Double Pole Switch. A double-pole switch, despite its name, still only controls a single fixture from a single location. The difference is that it has two extra terminals for handling the additional hot wires necessary to control a 240 volt circuit. It’s unlikely you’ll be dealing with this type of switch.
• Three-Way Switch. A three-way switch allows you to control a single fixture from two different locations. For example, you might have a hallway with a single light (or string of lights) and switches at both ends. In this case, both switches need to be three-way switches. Ask the builder explains how this process differs in the video below.
• Four-Way Switch. A four-way switch allows you to control a single fixture from three different locations. You’ll sometimes find them in really big rooms. When installing switches for three locations, you’ll need to use one four-way switch and two three-way switches. You’ll also use four-way switches in combination with three-way switches when you have fixtures controlled by more than three locations, but it starts getting a bit confusing. The best way to attack multi-location switching is to pull out the existing switches and use those as a guide to where the new switches go.
• Dimmer Switch. Dimmer switches are also available for each of these switch types, and the installation process is pretty much identical.

Tools/materials you’ll need

• Screwdriver (Phillips or flat)
• Needle-nose pliers
• Multimeter (optional, for testing to make sure power is off)
• The right light switches

Replace an outlet

Replacing an electrical outlet is just as easy as replacing a switch. In fact, it follows basically the same procedure and you don’t need to worry nearly so much about getting the right type of outlet. Outlets come in three types:

• Ungrounded. An ungrounded outlet only has two holes. It lacks the round third hole used for grounding. You typically only see these in older houses.
• Grounded. This is the standard three-prong outlet you’re probably most familiar with.
• Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFC or GFCI). This type of switch has a built-in breaker that automatically and instantly disconnects the switch, interrupting power in case of a short. You typically find them in areas that might be exposed to water or excessive moisture, like bathrooms, garages, and workshops. Chances are good the local building codes require them in these areas, in fact.

If you’re replacing an outlet, you’ll typically go for whatever type of outlet is already in place. However, you might decide you want a GFC outlet instead of a normal grounded outlet in some locations. That’s fine. The procedure for connecting them is identical.

What you don’t want to do is just replace an ungrounded outlet with a grounded outlet. Yes, it would allow you to plug in those three-pronged plugs, but it won’t magically turn it into a grounded outlet. To do that, you need the help of an electrician.

When it comes to replacing the outlet, the procedure is pretty simple. Make sure the power is off. Remove the faceplate and the screws holding the outlet in its box. Pull the outlet and wires out from the wall enough that you have space to work. Note where the white (neutral), black (power), and green or bare copper (ground) wires are attached on the existing outlet. Remove them and attach them to the same place on the new outlet. Turn the breaker on to test the outlet and, if it works, turn the breaker off and secure the outlet back into the wall. It’s as simple as that.

Tools/materials you’ll need

• Screwdriver (Phillips or flat)
• Needle-nose pliers
• Multimeter (optional, for testing to make sure power is off)
• Replacement outlets you want to install

REPLACING OUTLETS | DIY Network

Replace a light fixture

Light fixtures come in all shapes and sizes, but the wiring and they way they attach to the ceiling will both be pretty consistent. As usual, double-check that the breaker is off before getting started. Turning the light switch off is not good enough, as power is coming through some of those wires whether the switch is on or not.

First, remove the old light fixture. Take off the shade (if there is one) and remove the light bulbs. The next step depends on the fixture, but there are usually two long screws holding the fixture to the electrical box. After you remove those, the fixture should come away from the ceiling easily. You’ll seeit is connected to the electrical box by three wires: white (neutral), black (power), and green or bare (ground). They will be attached to the wires coming from the ceiling using twist-on wire connectors (usually called wire nuts). Unscrew the nuts and the wires should come apart easily.

Putting up the new fixture is a little tricky, just because you’ll have to hold it in place while you connect those wires again. Sometimes you can start to screw the fixture in and still have enough space for working with the wires. Sometimes, not. If it’s a heavy fixture, it really helps to have a friend around to hold it while you connect everything. Connect the wires in the same way they were on the old fixture. The instructions for installing the new fixture will have a diagram if you need it. After you’ve connected the wires with the wire nuts, you can also run some electrical tape around the wing nuts and wires for some added security. This can help keep the wires from getting disconnected when you push them back up into the electrical box and screw the new fixture into place.

Tools/materials you’ll need

• Screwdriver (Phillips or flat)
• Needle-nose pliers
• Flashlight (if you don’t have enough natural light)
• Multimeter (optional, for testing to make sure power is off)
• Wire nuts (plastic wire connectors that typically come with the new fixture. You can also reuse the ones currently installed)
• Electrical tape (optional, for helping secure the wires so the wire nuts don’t pull off)
• The new light fixture

How To: Install a Light Fixture | bobvila.com

Rewire a broken lamp

Whether you’ve got a favorite lamp with a frayed cord or corroded socket, or you’ve found an old lamp that you’d like to restore, rewiring a broken lamp is one of the simplest electrical projects you’ll find. It doesn’t take much time and it’s a cheap fix—certainly cheaper than buying a new lamp.

The basics of a lamp couldn’t be simpler. The lamp itself is hollow, allowing a cord to run from its base to the socket where the wires are attached. You’ll need to take the lamp apart first. How you do this depends a little on the lamp, but it doesn’t vary much. Pry off or unscrew the bottom cover on the base of the lamp so you can get at where the cord feeds in. (Some lamps don’t even have this and you just see the cord right there.) There’s usually a nut holding the cord in place, so unscrew that. Cut the old cord with a pair of wire cutters or scissors and then turn your attention to the top of the lamp. On some lamps, you can unscrew the socket directly; on others you may need to remove an actual screw. When that’s disconnected, pull up on it to expose the wiring. Disconnect the wires from the socket and you’re ready to go.

Rewiring the lamp is just a matter of reversing the process. Thread the new cord up through the lamp base. You may need expose a bit of the wires at the top end so you can screw them into the terminals on the socket. Screw the socket back into place, tighten the nut on the bottom of the lamp again, and put the base cover back in place if there was one.

Tools/materials you’ll need:

• Screwdriver (Phillips or flat; depends on lamp)
• Wire cutters or scissors
• The new cord, socket, or whatever else you’re replacing. You can often buy these as full kits at hardware stores if you want to replace everything at once.

How to Rewire a Lamp | This Old House

Replace an extension cord plug

Extension cords take a lot of abuse, especially at the plug end, and the prong can get bent or broken. Fortunately, replacing a plug on an extension cord is a quick, easy fix that is much cheaper than replacing the cord itself. I like to keep a few new plugs around the shop just in case, since I can replace a plug faster than I can drive to the hardware store.

First, you need to cut off the old plug. If wire cutters aren’t enough to do the job, use a good utility knife. Just be careful and cut against a good solid surface. Use your knife to split the cable housing and reveal the wires inside: white (neutral), black (power), and green or bare (ground). Take off the housing about 3/4″ from the end of the cord. Use your wire cutters (or a wire stripper) to strip each of the three wires about 1/2″ from the end. Open the replacement plug and attach the three wires to the terminals inside the plug. Remember to wrap the wires counterclockwise around the terminals because that’s the direction you’ll tighten the screws holding the wires on. Put the plug back together and you’re all done.

Tools/materials you’ll need:

• Screwdriver (Phillips)
• Utility knife
• Wire cutters or wire stripper
• The replacement plug.

How to Replace an Extension Cord Plug | This Old House

Map your breaker panel

We hinted at this above, but one of the smartest electrical projects you can take on is mapping your breaker panel. Knowing what every breaker controls can make life a lot easier when it comes time for electrical repairs. Here’s how to go about it.

First, take a picture of the curren
t label before you get started, just in case you need to refer to anything. If the previous tenants used pencil, count yourself lucky since you can just erase it and start over. If they used pen, you can buy a replacement label online or at most hardware stores.

The label is usually pre-numbered. If not, make sure you include the breaker number when you write things out. The label should include where and what. Good examples are “4 – All Outlets in Master Bedroom” and “12 – Overhead fixtures in Living Room and Back Porch.” Just choose labels that make sense to you and remember that in the future, someone besides you might need to decipher them. So do them a favor and skip labels like “Mike’s Bedroom.” Instead, choose something like “SW Corner Bedroom.”

You can also label the actual switches and plates in your home according to their breaker numbers. In our home, I pulled off the face plates for outlets and switches and used a Sharpie to jot down the associated breaker number on the back. It ended up being really helpful.

This post was originally published in March 2014 and updated in October 2020 to replace broken links and videos, perform a copy edit, update the content to align with current Lifehacker style, and add a new header image.