By Dave Rongey Summary: Electricity can be extremely dangerous. The same thing that electrified this Poor Little Mouse can happen to anyone.
Check Out What Others Are Sharing at Ask the Electrician: Great web site! Thanks for all your help.Phillip from Friendswood, Texas
Electrical Current Produces Heat that Can Attract Rodents
I have seen this more than once, and it always sends a message that is Loud and Clear to me!
Electricity is one of those two edge swords, it can be used for good, or it can kill you, just like this Poor Little Mouse.
My father taught me to Respect Electricity, and he was absolutely right.
It's a sad story, but this Poor Little Mouse found a nice warm place on top of this 200 amp Main Circuit Breaker in a house electrical panel, but the mouse did not understand the danger involved. At last the poor little mouse snuggled in just a little too close and got fried!
OK, So What's the Message for us Here?
In the midst of getting a little too comfortable or over confident with our work it is easy to become vulnerable of the wrong side of electricity.
Electrical Panel Work is for the Professionals
Saving money while doing DIY Home projects is one thing, but venturing into areas that you are totally unfamiliar with is down right dangerous!
Professionals are Licensed Electricians, Not a Handyman
Licensed Electrical Contractors and Certified Electricians are highly qualified individuals with years of experience and thousands of hours in the trade, and they are worth their wage.
Inexperience Will Cost You Dearly
Over and over again I have been called out to job sites to correct what an unqualified person attempted to do, so in the midst of attempting to save a little money the homeowner actually paid a little more because they did not call the right person to begin with.
Be Careful, Be Smart and Don't take Chances
Far worse than costing you a lot of money is the value of human life. Yes, electricity can kill, just as it did the poor little mouse, so be careful and think it through.
Just in case your wondering, I turned off the power, got out my needle nose pliers and took the poor little mouse to a final resting place. (no, it wasn't the trash can!)
Home Electrical Wiring
Wire a GFCI Outlet without a Ground Wire
Helping You Wire it Right
Be sure to get your copy of my BIG New eBook:
Complete Guide to Home Electrical Wiring
Wire It Right with the help of my Illustrated Wiring Book
Great for any Home Wiring Project.
See How to Wire it Right!
Learn more about Residential House Wiring Perfect for Homeowners, Students and Electricians Includes:
Home Electrical Wiring - Room by Room
120 Volt Circuits
240 Volt Circuits
Multi-Wired Circuits
Wiring Methods for Installing Home Electrical Circuit Wiring
Electrical Codes for Home Electrical Wiring
....and much more.
All home electrical wiring projects should be performed correctly by trained and qualified individuals who understand the principles of electrical circuit wiring and the basic fundamentals of home construction.
Detailed information is provided throughout areas of this website about the complexity of specific projects to help assist with you to understand the scope of work involved.
The following categories will provide more specific information for each project - below is an Example:
Electrical Project Skill Level:
Intermediate to Advanced - Best performed by a Licensed Electrical Contractor.
Electrical Tools Required:
Basic Electricians Pouch Hand Tools and a Voltage Tester.
Estimated Time:
Depends on the personal level experience, ability to work with tools, install electrical circuit wiring, and the available access to the project area.
Electrical Safety:
Identify the electrical circuits found in the project area, turn them OFF and Tag them with a Note before working with the electrical wiring.
Home Electrical Parts and Materials:
Electrical parts and materials should be approved for the specific project and compliant with local and national electrical codes.
Electrical Codes and Inspections:
Installing additional home electrical wiring should be done according to local and national electrical codes with a permit and be inspected.
This is a testing tool that is a Non-contact tester that I use to easily Detect Voltage in Cables, Cords, Circuit Breakers, Lighting Fixtures, Switches, Outlets and Wires. Simply insert the end of the tester into an outlet, lamp socket, or hold the end of the tester against the wire you wish to test. Very handy and easy to use.
This is great to troubleshoot a problem with outlet circuit wiring, is also used by most inspectors to test for power and check the polarity of circuit wiring.
It detects probable improper wiring conditions in standard 110-125 VAC outlets
Provides 6 probable wiring conditions that are quick and easy to read for ultimate efficiency
Lights indicate if wiring is correct and indicator light chart is included
Tests standard 3-wire outlets UL Listed Light indicates if wiring is incorrect, Very handy and easy to use.
A wire stripping tool used to safely strip electrical wires.
This handy tool has multiple uses:
The wire gauges are shown on the side of the tool so you know which slot to use for stripping insulation.
The end of the tool can be used to grip and bend wire which is handy for attaching wire onto the screw terminals of switches and outlets.
» How To Wire It RIGHT!« Wire it with Confidence! Fully Illustrated Instant Download Now You Can Wire it like a Pro!
Recent Testimonials
I think your site offers the the clearest and best electrical information for homeowners I have ever seen on the net.You have given me confidence to do my own projects which I never had before. THANK YOU! Paul, from Foxboro, Massachusetts
I wish I found this site earlier, it is by far the best electrical related resource I have found on the web. George, from Scranton, Pennsylvania
I love this site for an office worker that does not know anything about electric wiring. Bill, from New York City, New York
This site is so much better than the 3 books I just bought, I wish I came here first. Collin, from Grand Rapids, Michigan
Thank you for answering my question.
I was able to get this done. This site is perfect. I am glad I found it. Please keep it going. Mike, from Chicago, Illinois
