Before you touch any wire: the $20 of tools that keep you alive
Difficultyeasy
Cost$20 to $40
- Non-contact voltage tester. Hold it to the wire; it beeps if live. Test it on a known-live outlet first, every time.
- A plug-in outlet tester with a GFCI button. Tells you if a receptacle is wired right.
- A real multimeter for confirming zero volts wire-to-wire and wire-to-ground. Non-contact testers can miss things.
Procedure: turn off the breaker, test with the non-contact tester, test with the meter, then work. Tape the breaker off or put a lockout on it if anyone else is home. Capacitors in dimmers and fan controls can bite after the power is off; wait a few seconds.
If you find aluminum wiring (dull silver, "AL" on the jacket), knob and tube, or a Federal Pacific / Zinsco panel, stop and get a pro.
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Can confirm, the cheap part is the one that fails. Replaced mine twice before reading this.
The "what went wrong" section is the most useful part of this. More people should do that.
Should be the same procedure, the part moved slightly but the steps match.
Question: do you need to disconnect power for this or is it safe to leave it plugged in?
Right around what the post says, give or take shipping.
The embedded video is clearer than the official service manual, which is a little embarrassing for the manufacturer.
Question: do you need to disconnect power for this or is it safe to leave it plugged in?
Would this work on the older model? Mine is about ten years older than the one shown.
Glad it helped.
This is the kind of post that makes this place worth it.
Right around what the post says, give or take shipping.