replacing bathroom multiple bulb fixture?

[Mike]

Our house is beginning to need various electrical fixture replacements
(built 1978). My wife's dressing room has a strip of 8 lights. When trying
to replace one, I found two more virtually ready to fall out. I'm not too
good with electrical home repairs because unless I shut down the main power
to the whole house, I don't trust it.

Assuming I can master cutting the power to the strip needing replacement, I
have a few basic questions. I see that each of the 8 lights has electrical
lines running to it (duh). If the replacement only needs 6, can I just use a
twist cover, then wrap that with electrical tape and trust it to stay safe?
If not, what's the proper steps to take?

Mike

ps-I'm 61 years old and other than basic shop class in high school, don't
even know what kind of gadget (ohm meter?,,,,,,) I should buy to be able to
KNOW a wire is or is not hot...please offer suggestions for a low budget
handyman.

 

[ehsjr]

Our house is beginning to need various electrical fixture replacements
(built 1978). My wife's dressing room has a strip of 8 lights. When trying
to replace one, I found two more virtually ready to fall out. I'm not too
good with electrical home repairs because unless I shut down the main power
to the whole house, I don't trust it.

Assuming I can master cutting the power to the strip needing replacement, I
have a few basic questions. I see that each of the 8 lights has electrical
lines running to it (duh). If the replacement only needs 6, can I just use a
twist cover, then wrap that with electrical tape and trust it to stay safe?
If not, what's the proper steps to take?

Mike

ps-I'm 61 years old and other than basic shop class in high school, don't
even know what kind of gadget (ohm meter?,,,,,,) I should buy to be able to
KNOW a wire is or is not hot...please offer suggestions for a low budget
handyman.

If you are replacing the light fixture with a new one,
there should be only 3 house wires to deal with: white,
black and green (or bare). White connects to white;
black connects to black; and green (or bare) is ground.
The new fixture will have a green wire or a ground screw.
You need to connect the house wire ground (the green
or bare wire) to the green wire or ground screw on the
new fixture.

If you are repairing a fixture you can use a wire
nut (what you term a "twist cover") and electrical
tape on wires you need to leave unconnected, just
as you mentioned.

Making a circuit "dead" prior to working on it:
If the old fixture is still working, turn it on and then
flip breakers, one at a time, until it goes off. With the
breaker off, all the wires should be dead. But if you
have the slightest doubt, shut off the main breaker as
you have been doing. You could buy a voltmeter to test
the circuit to see if it is dead, but you would have to
know more to use it than you already know. In any event,
tripping the breakers until the light goes off is a better
and safer method. And, as you already know, the ultimate
is tripping the main breaker.

Ed

 

[Mike]

Of course. I don't know why we have multiple newsgroups - all we need
is misc.everything.

If there is a more appropriate group, please advise. It's not always that
obvious. I'm also a CPA and spend most of my time in misc.tax.moderated.
People actually ask bookkeeping and other business related questions there.
We usually just politely give an answer or offer a more relevant newsgroup
group to use.

Mike

 

[Mike]

Glad to be of help. If you need to know anything else, please ask.

Thanks to the helpful. I don't mind giving someone a grin

Mike

 

[Roy]

Dear Mickey; Old Boy... if you've got money don't put yourself through
this ever again Get a good electrician to do it for you - you can
Higher & Boss a younger one around & get him to take care of all your
Elecrical Problems for a Set Fee, at 60, What's better than that?

If you're low on cash - get a book on electrical wiring - you can get
that & a simpe volt tester at any Home Depot... but just so you know,
elecricians hardly ever shut off the breakers to change a fixture they
just shut off the switch sometimes I don't even need to do that...

If your in NYC send me an email., I'll be glad to stop by & take care of
em for ya...

Roy Q.T.
Urban Technician
[I don't make em, I just fix em]

 

[Mike]

Dear Mickey; Old Boy... if you've got money don't put yourself through
this ever again Get a good electrician to do it for you - you can
Higher & Boss a younger one around & get him to take care of all your
Elecrical Problems for a Set Fee, at 60, What's better than that?

If you're low on cash - get a book on electrical wiring - you can get
that & a simpe volt tester at any Home Depot... but just so you know,
elecricians hardly ever shut off the breakers to change a fixture they
just shut off the switch sometimes I don't even need to do that...

If your in NYC send me an email., I'll be glad to stop by & take care of
em for ya...

Roy Q.T.
Urban Technician
[I don't make em, I just fix em]

Thanks for the reply. You're right, and I plan to follow that safe advise!

Mike

 

[The Great Attractor]

Dear Mickey; Old Boy... if you've got money don't put yourself through
this ever again Get a good electrician to do it for you - you can
Higher & Boss a younger one around & get him to take care of all your
Elecrical Problems for a Set Fee, at 60, What's better than that?

If you're low on cash - get a book on electrical wiring - you can get
that & a simpe volt tester at any Home Depot... but just so you know,
elecricians hardly ever shut off the breakers to change a fixture they
just shut off the switch sometimes I don't even need to do that...

If your in NYC send me an email., I'll be glad to stop by & take care of
em for ya...

This from the dipshit that claimed he was a mere ten years old.

You should go out and climb on the high tension lines... with the
circuits energized.

 

[Roy]

(The Great Assfactor) wrote:

 This from the dipshit that claimed he was a mere ten years old.
    You should go out and climb on the high tension lines...
with the circuits energized.

You wanna mess with asstractor?
After you motherfucker...energize that circuit you fucking creep...®