DIY Common Solutions

  Light Switch Voltage Testers Do you have a light switch in your home that isn’t working properly? If you have a screwdriver, voltage tester, insulated pliers and a wire connector you can troubleshoot your light switch to determine the problem and, if necessary, replace the switch. Light switches are inexpensive, and take only a small amount of time to replace. Exercise caution when working with light switches. They can be very dangerous. If you’re not comfortable working with electricity, contact a professional electrician. Never work with electrical outlets, switches or fixtures, unless you have an understanding of electrical circuits and basic home wiring. Light switch compnents A light switch has small components in its casing and if damaged, you will need to replace the switch. But before you replace the light switch, check some things to verify that the light switch is actually the issue and not the wiring or something else. Follow these steps to troubleshoot your light switch :

Receptacle  While there is a chance that you’ll have to bring in an electrician , in many cases, the problem behind a non-working outlet can be resolved by the homeowner. First, a bit of information about a outlet:  The vertical slots in the outlet are called “shutters,” and the small hole beneath each set of shutters is the “ground.” Most outlets will accept either 2-prong or 3-prong plugs. If your home has older wiring, the third hole (the “ground”) may not be present. Keep this anatomy in mind as you try the following troubleshooting tips. First you need to determine what kind of outlet you're dealing with. A half-hot outlet allows you to plug in a lamp, turn it on, and then control the lamp from a light switch. If there is a switch in the room that does nothing it could possibly control a "lamp outlet". Verify this before continuing.                 GFCI      If it’s a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) outlet, it might have shut off automatically and need to be