Home Electrician's Kit
TIPical Mary Ellen : Episode TIP-542 -- More Projects »
Handyman James Young shows how to put together a kit to take care of minor electrical repairs and emergencies.
- The basic tools every electrical repair kit should contain are the following:
- an electrical tester to make sure that the power is off (figure A)
- safety glasses
- wire stripper and cutter (figure B)
- needle-nose pliers
- diagonal cutter
- wire connector to hold wires together
- electrical tape
- tape measure
- Also stock the kit with items that will be needed in the event of a power outage. Include a flashlight with extra batteries, a battery powered radio, and a list of local gas, electric and water companies.
- Be sure to keep candles and waterproof matches on hand as a backup for the flashlight. Another option is to buy a small camping lantern. These are designed to hang in tents and work great as a source of emergency lighting.
- Make sure the kit is easy to get to in case the lights go out.
- Another thing to include is a diagram of the circuit-breaker box, showing which areas each breaker controls. Take the time to figure out what each circuit is for and write it all down. Make a copy of it and tape it to the inside of the breaker door.
- Include some spare fuses in the correct sizes and ratings. It would be very frustrating to not be able to fix a problem as simple as a blown fuse.
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