How to Fix Christmas Lights

You just finished decorating your Christmas tree with ornaments and Christmas lights. Suddenly, you notice a few bulbs are burned out. No problem; you have several spare bulbs in a drawer that you saved just for this moment. Wait, these are old bulbs from several years ago and the base of the bulbs won't fit into the socket of the burned out lights. What now?

Remove the burned-out Christmas light bulb from its socket. Do this by carefully applying upward pressure on the plastic base just below the glass bulb. It helps to have fingernails when doing this. Try not to pull on the glass bulb.

Once the old bulb has been removed, compare its base with that of the replacement bulb. If it matches, then you should have no problem easily just inserting the new bulb into the socket. If the bases do not match, then you will need to remove both bulbs from their sockets and swap them.

You will probably need to straighten the wires so that they will fit into the holes of the socket.

To remove a Christmas light from its socket, find the two copper wires at the base of the bulb. Push both wires downward so that if the tip of the bulb is pointing at the ceiling, then the wires will point towards the floor. Firmly pull upward on the glass bulb and it should separate from the base. Do the same thing with the replacement bulb.

With both copper wires from the new bulb pointing straight down, insert the new bulb into the old bulb's socket and try to align the copper wires with the two holes at the bottom of the base. Once the wires have been inserted, press the bulb completely down into the base. Push both wires upward so that they follow the groove on each side of the bulb base. Now they should be facing the same direction as the tip of the glass bulb. Insert this new arrangement into the empty light socket and the bulb should illuminate!

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful when working with electricity! If possible, wrap a small piece of masking tape around the base of the burned-out bulbs to mark them and them perform the bulb replacement with the Christmas lights unplugged.

How to Determine which Wire is “Hot” in Household Wiring

Your home repair project involves installing a light fixture and an electrical outlet.  You flipped the breakers and disconnected the existing fixture, but now you’re uncertain which wire is the “hot” one.  What now?

In the United States, household wiring code offers us a clue as to which wire SHOULD correspond to what.  Extreme caution should be used, however, when dealing with electricity, even if you feel certain that you know which wire is which.  The possibility exists that a misguided handy-man who came before you made the wrong choice connecting the wires.  You can never be too careful when your life is at risk.

According to code, the black wire is always the “hot” or “live” wire, meaning, it is connected to a source supplying 110 VAC.  If you are connecting this wire to an electrical outlet, this wire should connect to the narrow spade, or brass colored terminal.  If you have not switched off the breakers like you’re supposed to and you grab the copper conductor of this wire, you will probably feel an unmistakable tingling sensation quickly travel up your arm.  If you do feel it, let go of the wire because this sensation is not good for you.  If this happens to you often, be sure to have someone around who knows CPR and first aid when you do home repairs.

The green wire is your friend.  This is the ground wire.  Its sole purpose for existing is to save your life by providing electricity an alternate path to ground.  In the case of a short circuit, the current passes through the ground wire and overloads the breakers, causing them to trip.  Sometimes this wire will also have a yellow stripe.  Be sure to connect the ground wire properly when performing an electrical repair.  If the copper conductor of the “hot” wire that we just discussed were to maneuver it’s way over to the metal casing of, for example your ceiling fan, and make contact with it without the ground wire attached, you would be in for a nasty surprise when you touched the metal casing of the fan.

The white wire is known as the “neutral” wire.  In any circuit, whether AC or DC, there has to be a complete path in order for the electrical current to flow.  The white wire alone should not have a charge and should not hurt you if you touch it.  If installing an electrical outlet, this wire connects to the wide spade or silver colored terminal.

Sometimes, you will find a red wire living side-by-side with the black, white, and green wires.  This wire is known as a “traveler” wire and is used to connect power between 3-way light switches.

Always use caution when working with household wiring.  Turn off the breaker that corresponds to the circuit that you are working on.  If you are not certain which one is which, switch off the main breaker.  Even then, it is a good idea to test the wires with a multimeter to be absolutely certain that the wires are not “hot”.  It’s a good idea to test between the black wire and the white wire and then between the black wire and the green wire.  It is important to note that when reading AC voltage with a multimeter, if you connect your probes between two wires that are both “hot” (110VAC) the reading will be 0 volts. (A lesson that I learned the hard way!)  Always know what you are doing when dealing with electricity.  Small mistakes could prove to be fatal.

How to Make a Light Bulb Easier to Remove from the Socket

Do you have an old light fixture that grips the light bulb in a way that makes it difficult to remove? If too much stress is applied while trying to remove the bulb, it will often cause the bulb to shatter. This article teaches a simple way to make light bulbs easier to remove.

When installing or removing a light bulb into an overhead light fixture, it is wise to wear protection for your eyes. Position the light switch for the light fixture to the OFF position. Carefully remove the installed light bulb from the light socket. If the bulb shatters, you will need to remove the metal base from the socket before proceeding.

Find a new light bulb which has never been installed. Rub the threads of the metal base of the new light bulb with the bar of soap. Be careful not to cover the bottom tip of the metal base with soap because it needs to make solid contact with the metal piece inside the base of the light socket. Carefully install the new light bulb into the socket. The next time the bulb must be replaced, it should be noticeably easier to remove from the socket. Position the switch for the light fixture back into the ON position to test the new light bulb. If the room is illuminated, you have completed your task.

Tips & Warnings

• Collect extra bars of soap each time you stay in a hotel. Use this soap to coat the metal threads of the light bulb instead of the soap that you bathe with.
• Always use caution when handling electrical devices!
• Wear eye protection to change the bulbs in overhead light fixtures.

Choosing the Correct Engine Oil

It’s time to change the oil in your car, but when you go to the store, you find that many different types of engine oil are available.  Which one should you choose?

Go to your nearest automotive parts store or retail super center.  Locate the large selection of engine oil.  The viscosity of the engine oil should be clearly labeled on the bottle.  This will be a series of numbers and letters, like 10W-30.  Viscosity is the measure of resistance of the oil as it is being deformed by stress.  The first part of the number in the viscosity rating, (ex. 10W) refers to the weight (10) of the oil and whether it is rated (W) for winter use.  The second part of the number (ex. -30) refers to how thin the weight of the oil will be when it is warmed to operating temperature.  The oil actually changes viscosity when heated due to the addition of polymers by the manufacturer.

5W viscosity oil is thin oil and circulates quickly.  It is used for lower temperatures.

5W-20 viscosity oil is used for outside temperatures ranging from -20 °F to 0 °F.

5W-30 viscosity oil is used for outside temperatures ranging from -20 °F to 60 °F.

10W oil is thicker than 5W and is suitable for most temperatures.

10W viscosity oil is used for outside temperatures ranging from 0 °F to 60 °F.

10W-30 viscosity oil is used for outside temperatures ranging from 0 °F to 100 °F.

10W-40 viscosity oil is used for outside temperatures ranging from 0 °F to 100 °F.

20W-20 viscosity oil is used for outside temperatures ranging from 20 °F to 100 °F.

20W-40 viscosity oil is used for outside temperatures ranging from 20 °F to 100 °F.

20W-50 viscosity oil is used for outside temperatures ranging from 20 °F to 100 °F.

Always check the manufacturer’s specifications for your engine before adding or changing the oil and never mix oils of different viscosity together.  Remove one before adding the other and be sure to change the oil filter.

Installing an Electric Iron and Ironing Board Holder

A hot iron sitting on an ironing board is an accident waiting to happen when there are small children running around your home.  Install a device that will store the iron and board safely away and also free up needed space.

Choose the best place for the iron and board to be stored.  This may be in a closet or bathroom area, but it should be a room with a door that can be closed in order to prevent access to it by small children.  It is also a good idea to store the iron and board in a low-traffic area that is not frequently accessed by guests.

Using an electronic stud finder, locate the left and right edges of a wooden stud inside your wall.  Mark the edges lightly with a pencil so that you will know where the middle of the stud is.  These marks should be made in close proximity to the position on the wall where you will mount the holder.

Position the plastic holder on the wall in the area where you would like it to be permanently mounted.  Firmly hold the plastic holder with one hand and with your other hand, hang the ironing board on the holder to be sure the holder is positioned high enough for the board to clear the floor.  If there is a door nearby, check it for clearance too.  Remove the board from the holder and align the holder so that that center mounting holes are between the pencil lines that you made to mark the wooden stud.  Mark these holes using your pencil.  It is a good idea to also check the sides of the holder using a level.  If the holder is level, the board will hang level when the installation is complete.

Remove the holder from the wall and drill small pilot holes for each mounting hole.  The pilot holes should be just smaller than the screw that will occupy the hole.  If any of the screws do not match up with the wooden stud, insert a wall anchor to provide extra support.  Place the plastic holder back onto the wall and apply screws to each one using your Phillips screwdriver.  Do not over tighten the screws!

Insert the iron and wrap the cord so that it fits underneath.  Insert the board and inspect the installation from all sides.  Pull on the board and make sure the holder doesn’t budge.