Can you change an outlet or move a light switch? Do you consider yourself an amateur electrician? You may feel up to most electrical tasks but here are some pitfalls to watch out for that could save your life and your circuits. 1. Three way switch wiring 3-way switches can be confusing. There are three screws on the switch to terminate the switch wiring. Two of the screws are going to be brass colored and these are where you terminate the travelers. There is also going to be an odd colored screw. Typically, it is either black or copper color. This is the common terminal. You will terminate the power supply hot wire on one end and the hot wire that goes to the light on the other end. 2. GFCI receptacle wiring GFCI receptacles have a line side set of terminals and a

load side set of terminals. The line side is the power supply wires. The load side is the wires going out to a downstream device being protected by the GFCI receptacle. You need to ensure that the neutral wires are terminated on the correct terminals as well. 3. Using the wrong size circuit breaker Circuit breakers provide over current protection and need to be sized properly. If you have a 15 amp circuit breaker that keeps tripping, you CAN’T replace it with a 20 amp to solve the problem. This will eventually start a fire. If the breaker is tripping, there is probably a reason behind it. You need to solve the problem which is causing the breaker to trip. If the circuit is overloaded, then install a new circuit.

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5 Wiring Mistakes Made By Do-It-Yourselfers