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First, not all power strips have surge protectors. If you’re not worried about electrical appliances or equipment being harmed by a sudden surge of electricity, a normal power strip will work fine. However, look for the words “surge protection” on the packaging of power strips if you have expensive electronics that you want to protect from surges (which can easily damage or ruin the delicate circuitry of electronics such as TVs, computers, stereos, etc.).

Think about the electronics you want to protect and make sure you choose the best surge protector to fit your needs.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and safety of this information. Neither Westlake nor any contributor can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

• New wiring can be tied into a junction box, unless the wiring in the junction box is already at maximum capacity.
• Before tying in at a junction box, always trace the cables leading to the box to check the voltage. Be sure you are not connecting a 120-volt outlet to a run of wire providing 240 volts for larger appliances.
• To tie in new wiring at a junction box, first shut off the current at the service panel.
• Locate the main supply cable coming into the junction box from the service panel. Locate the supply wire by tracing the white wires. All white wires in the junction box will be attached to the white wire on the supply line.
• Knock out the unused plug on the junction box and run the new line from the box as illustrated (see image). Be sure to use a cable clamp to secure the cable to the junction box.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

Bend a stripped wire 180 degrees by bending it over the tip of needle-nose pliers. Wrap the wire clockwise around the screw so that it will stay in place as you tighten the screw. Don't over tighten and make sure there is no insulation under the terminal. It may also help to view a demonstration to be sure that you are being safe and accurate.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

Search for loose taped wire; also look for worn fabric insulation on old wires and check any terminals that have multiple wires since one of the wires may have slipped off. If you suspect that there is a short, be sure to test it.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

Buy the appropriate type of replacement plug or socket. If the extension cord is a 3 wire type (with grounding connection), buy a 3 pronged replacement. Likewise, make sure that the replacement is rated for the same load as the cord; if you have a heavy-duty cord, ensure that the replacement is rated for heavy-duty loads.

Cut off the broken plug or socket with the knife.

Strip half an inch of the outer cord casing from the cable near the cut end. Be careful to cut only the outer casing and avoid damaging the interior wires.

Strip half an inch of insulation from each of the individual wires within the casing.

Disassemble the replacement plug or socket. Generally, replacement plugs consist of a plastic outer case that contains screw-down terminals to which the individual wires attach. Some plugs come from the store in a disassembled state, while others require unscrewing a screw or unsnapping a case to access the interior screw terminals.

Screw the exposed extension cord wires to the terminals inside the replacement plug or socket. If your replacement plug has screw-type terminals, loop wire around the terminal and then screw it down. The green wire is the ground wire, the white wire is the neutral wire, and the black wire is the hot wire. Light-duty interior extension cords often lack the ground wire, but if a ground wire is present, be sure to connect it. Many replacement plugs come with color-coded terminal screws, making connection to the right terminal easy. If in doubt, check the wiring diagram that came with the replacement plug or socket.

Put the plug or socket casing back together around the terminals. Depending on the exact model you have, this may require snapping a plastic case into place or screwing in a retaining screw. Make sure no bare wire is exposed.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and safety of this information. Neither Westlake nor any contributor can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

You shouldn’t nail or staple lights to your roof, as this could damage both your lights and your roof. Instead, choose from a variety of clips, including shingle tabs (which slide under your shingles) and gutter clips (which are molded to fit your gutters).

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and safety of this information. Neither Westlake nor any contributor can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

You will have to look at your transformer to determine what its maximum wattage is. Most bulbs are 4 watts, but they come in different wattages. You will have to add up what you are currently using.

Before installing the new lights, be sure that you follow the correct process. If you find that you are unable to install new lights, you may want to consider solar lights. Solar lights require no wiring and come in various designs.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

Yes, you should use electrical tape. There are many brands of electrical tape, and you can even choose to buy tape for color coding as you complete your project. Shop around to find exactly what you need.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

In most cases the answer is no. They are designed to blow at certain levels to protect equipment and for fire safety.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

A keyhole saw.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and safety of this information. Neither Westlake nor any contributor can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

During the holidays, your outdoor decorations and lighting can use a lot of electricity and add quite a bit to your electric bill. To keep energy costs down, replace those incandescent light strands with LED lights. LED bulbs are 80 percent more energy efficient and can even last 20 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and safety of this information. Neither Westlake nor any contributor can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

One prong is bigger than the other. This feature is designed to make sure that a 110-volt plug is never put into a socket that is not a 110-volt outlet.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

Time delay fuses are used on circuits where appliance motors have initial surges of electrical power when the motor starts. This initial surge might blow a regular fuse.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

Instead of trying to feed the wire through, use a fish tape. This tool is a small wire on a reel that is easier to feed through. Once you have fed it through the wall, attach the wire and pull the tape back through.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.

Wires have size numbers that express their diameter. These are even numbers from 0 to 18, and smaller numbers indicate larger diameters that can carry more power. It is important to know which wire and gauge to use.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Information in this document has been furnished by the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) and associated contributors. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and safety. Neither NRHA, any contributor nor the retailer can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.