The sound of electrical sizzling is never a cheerful one! It’s the sound of danger and a future repair project.
Yesterday, I flipped a switch downstairs, and the overhead lights started flickering. Even the hallway lights were misbehaving, and a subtle buzzing sound came from the switch plate on the wall in our old house.
Ugh, that’s never a good thing. ☹️
Then, the lights went out for good. I had already experienced something similar years ago with an old outlet. That time, the faint smell of burning wiring accompanied it. Yikes! I repaired that myself, too.
Here’s the old switch I removed, which dated back to 1989. You can’t buy much for $0.59 these days! 1989 feels like yesterday to me, but that means the switch was at least over 37 years old. I’m going to crack it open today to see what caused that sound. I’m curious…
Luckily, I have a stash of new switches from previous home repair projects. A quick visit to the main breaker panel, some minor rewiring work, and all's well!
After living in old houses for so long, I’ve learned to keep some electrical and plumbing parts and supplies on hand, so I don’t have to run to the hardware store all the time (or when I can’t at midnight).
One thing that helped us semi-retire early (I was 50) is that we DIY most of our home and vehicle maintenance and repairs. It always saves you money, of course. But sometimes, being able to fix things yourself is all that stands between you and a dangerous or damaging situation.
Even if you have all the money in the world, it’s going to be hard to get a plumber or electrician to come to your house at midnight in a remote location, like where we live. We had a leak once that I discovered at 1 AM. If I hadn’t been able to shut off our water, the damage would have been tremendous by the time a plumber showed up the next day.
By the way, YouTube is your DIY friend! Check out this channel as one example. But you can also search for specific problems, like how to repair a leaking pipe, how to safely power off an electrical circuit, or how to shut off your gas line in an emergency.
For example, we’ve saved thousands of dollars on the maintenance, repairs, and cleaning of our pellet stove alone. Every year, I clean the ash out of the chimney pipe, and it’s amazing how much accumulates in just one season! I’ve experimented and learned a few tricks for managing the mess (e.g., catching the ash in a clear bag).
A few tips that have helped me make disassembly, repair, and reassembly work easier. I learned the hard way!
Keep your appliance manuals (e.g., furnace, washing machine, dishwasher, stove) and file them somewhere you can easily find them later.
Keep a list of your appliances, brand names, model numbers, and information about the parts. I have a list on my phone, so I know what to get when something needs replacing (e.g., windshield wiper model numbers, unique lightbulbs, fuses, etc.).
Take photos and videos of the process, step by step. It sure is easier to put things back together later when you have the information stored for what it should look like.
Use your phone to capture photos and videos of stuff that you can’t easily see with your eyes directly (e.g., the back panel of a stove, underneath your vehicle, behind a water heater).
Use a piece of paper or cardboard to store the parts, screws, bolts, washers, wires, etc. as you take things apart (e.g., tape them down). You can even label things if that helps.
Write notes to your future self about any tricky aspects of cleaning, maintenance, and repair. It’s easy to forget things when you rarely deal with them.
Yes, there are times you should call an expert. In my case, I don’t like dealing with complicated electrical and plumbing work. It can be dangerous, and I’m not a pro. So, even I call a licensed repair service occasionally.
However, we all know of simple projects that we could do ourselves. And again, YouTube is a magical resource for learning how to do things. It will save you money, but it may also simply be necessary because time is of the essence (e.g., turning off the gas when there’s a leak) and no one is available, no matter how big of a check you can write.
What DIY lessons have you learned?
Larry Cornett, Ph.D. | Empowerment coach, psychologist, nature lover, and fitness freak. I help you escape the “hustle trap” to create an empowered life that fits who you are and what you want most. From Silicon Valley exec to self-employed entrepreneur, I’ve also followed this path to freedom, so now I can help others find their way.
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