John Grabowski Archives

An example of a swimming pool pump motor with a broken electrical conduit connection and no equipotential bonding. This has the possibility of causing electric shock drowning.

Electric Shock Drowning

Dear Mr. Electrician: What causes electric shock drowning? NOTE: Some text links below go to applicable products on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from...

The finished installation of a kitchen chimney hood between cabinets and over an existing stove

Install A Chimney Hood

Dear Mr. Electrician: How do I install a chimney hood in place of my existing kitchen hood? NOTE: Some text links below go to applicable...

A Cutler-Hammer type CH residential electrical load center with spring clips being used to siphon off electrical power using a portable rubber cord

Clip Power

Dear Mr. Electrician: Is it not safe to clip power directly from the bus bar in my electrical panel for the heavy duty electric...

A Kaiweets KT301P circuit breaker finder and accessories without the included case

Kaiweets Circuit Breaker Finder

Dear Mr. Electrician: Are there better tools than the Kaiweets KT301P circuit breaker finder designed for electricians and homeowners? Answer: I haven't used every testing...

A close shot of an older General Electric watt-hour electric meter that measures electricity consumption using kilowatt-hours

Why Did My Electric Bill Go Up

Dear Mr. Electrician: Why has my electric bill gone up suddenly? Answer: There can be many reasons why your electric bill went up suddenly. NOTE: Some...

An older electric meter and fuse box located inside a basement adjacent to the foundation wall. The armored grounding electrode conductor is coming out of the bottom of the meter socket.

Basement Electric Meter

Dear Mr. Electrician: Why do I have a basement electric meter? NOTE: Some text links below go to applicable products on Amazon. As an Amazon...

My homemade circuit breaker finder kit, consisting of an ammeter, flasher buttons, pigtail light bulb sockets, and incandescent light bulbs

Find The Circuit Breaker

Dear Mr. Electrician: How do you find the circuit breaker in an electrical panel? Answer: I have used a few methods in my career to...

The exterior of an unfinished patio that will be converted to indoor living space. The red arrow indicates where the existing electrical panel is located inside the closet.

Replace Townhouse Electrical Panel

Dear Mr. Electrician: How do I replace my townhouse electrical panel? NOTE: Some text links below go to applicable products on Amazon. As an Amazon...

A main electric disconnect switch connected to nine electric meters attached to the side of a residential building. The disconnect switch is labeled Emergency Disconnect, Service Disconnect, Meter Disconnect.

Emergency Disconnect Sticker

Dear Mr. Electrician: Do I need to label my outside electrical service disconnect switch with an "Emergency Disconnect" sticker? Answer: Yes! Labeling your outside electrical...

Two old basement electrical sub-panels, one of which is fed from the other

Replace a Sub-Panel

Dear Mr. Electrician: How do I replace a sub-panel? Answer: To replace a sub-panel requires a certain amount of knowledge, experience, skill, and tools. There...

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When you get to the construction phase of your home renovation project, you must be mindful of your personal safety as well as the safety of people and property that may be in proximity to your work. I wash my hands frequently while working because I come in contact with all kinds of things. I always have hand wipes available. Hard hats, gloves, and safety glasses offer the very basic personal protection. For certain tasks additional safety precautions need to be taken. For instance when working around live electricity, an electrician would need insulated tools and gloves rated for the voltages that he or she works on. Additionally it is important to conduct yourself in a safe manner during construction. Be mindful of heavy lifting or reaching in awkward positions. Use a ladder when working on the ceiling, or anything high for that matter. Chairs, buckets, milk crates, and anything else not made to be stood on, should not be stood on. One bad fall can change your life forever.

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