If you’re gonna work on your own appliances, you need to know something about electricity. You at least need to know what you don’t know because lots of folks think they know, but they really don’t and they end up popping a circuit breaker, getting shocked, or smoking a control board. Why? ‘Cuz they don’t know what they don’t know. Ya know?

Sublime Master of Appliantology Keinokuorma, from the Samurai Appliance Repair Forums, has been to the mountain top and he has returned with the Ten Commandments for working with household electricity. Hear therefore, O Grasshoppahs, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the Samurai hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with Appliantology.

The Ten Commandments of Working With Householde Power
by Sublime Master of Appliantology Keinokuorma

1. Thou shalt not worke with thy house wyres unless thou knoweth what thou art to do.

2. Thou shalt understande, that unless thou art a trained and licensed professionall elecktrician, thy work with the wyres can void thy fyre insurance.

3. Shalt thou not be sure what thou art to do, or, shalt thou at a pointe feel that thou knoweth not how to proceede, thou shalt call for the helpe of a professionall elecktrician.

4. Thou shalt turne off the breaker or remove the fuse before thou worketh on the wyres. Shalt thou not be sure which breaker or fuse affects said wyres, thou shalt turne off the main switche, and worke with a flash-lighte or candell, if no other lighte is availabel. Thou shalt checke and double checke that there is no power to the wyres thou art to worke with.

5. Unless thou knoweth for sure what thou art to do, thou shalt not tamper with the power meter or the contents of the fuse/breaker boxe. In moste installations, the meter hath Lethall Power even if thou turneth the main switche off.

6. Thou shalt not cutte the insulators when thou strippeth the outer jackett of a cabell, and thou shalt not cutte the inner wyre when thou strippeth the insulator. Thou shalt avoide using wyre nutts on stranded wyre, for that will surely cutte some strands.

7. Thou shalt not rely on elecktricall tape as finall and permanent insulation, for it could shifte and leave the bare wyre exposed. Thou shalt not truste said tape to insulate thy Screw-Driver or other metallic toole safely.

8. Thou shalt not confuse Grounde and Neutrall wyres. If thou only hath a Neutrall wyre, thou may use that for Grounde, but not the other way.

9. Thou shalt take extreme care if thou needeth to joine olde and newe wyre colors. A smallest mis-matche could leade to severe trouble.

10. Thou shalt checke and double checke thy work before thou re-seateth the fuse or turneth the main switche or breaker on.

If thou faileth to heede these warnings, thou standeth the great riske of feeling the Wrathe of The Power in its full effect with the moste un-desirabell resulte.

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Additionall Notes to Severall Commandments

4: Thou may make an exception if thou needeth to verify the funcktionality of the circuite, or verify which fuse or breaker affecteth it. Taking great care, and with suitabell and reliabell measuring devices, thou may verify if the circuite is powered or not. Thou shalt not rely upon the Glow-Sticke or Contackt Voltage Indicator but for reference only. Thou shalt acquire a Digitall or Analogue Multi-Meter which giveth thou true readings, and thou shalt learne to operate thy Multi-Meter before thou worketh on thy house wyres. Any shoppe with good stocke of elecktricall stuffe will be happy to sell one.
Basick Measurements Guide.

5: In moste cases, thou shalt leave any alterations to the breaker boxe to the professionall elecktrician.

Overall: Thou shalt leave any extensive alterations to any circuite to a professionall elecktrician. In any case, thou shalt make a neate, comprehendibel jobbe that shalt not confuse those who worke on it at later tymes.

Can I hear an “Amen?”