4 Basic Electrical Upgrades You Can Do Yourself

Outlets wear out over time. Plus, older outlets don’t have some important safety features that newer options have. The good news is, as long as you’re comfortable around electricity, you can replace most outlets yourself. If you have an old or broken outlet, or if you want to upgrade your outlet with new safety features, follow these easy steps to do it yourself!

Switches take a lot of use and abuse. Over time, the mechanical components weaken and wear out. Eventually, you will need to replace them. On the other end of things, though, there are a lot of switch options can use to upgrade your home. If you need to upgrade or replace your worn-out switches, the steps in the video below can help you get the job done.

If you're looking to upgrade your switches, outlets, or fixtures, you might find yourself with several short wires. Knowing how to tie two short wires to one longer one can help extend those wires in a neat way. An electrical pigtail is a quick and easy way to do that. It can make your wires neater and safer to work with. If you find yourself in that situation, the steps in the video below can help.

Smoke detectors are a crucial safety device in your home. Because they do wear out over time, manufacturers recommend that you test your smoke detectors once a month and replace them every ten years. If you check yours and realize you need to replace it, you can watch this video for easy, step-by-step instructions for replacing them.