Becoming My Own Electrician

BACK TO BASICS | by MOLLY MARTIN

OUR OLD STOVE’S ELEMENTS NEEDED REPLACING AGAIN ― or so I thought.

Removed elements and drove to the appliance-parts store. Woman #1 said if the receptacles they plugged into were old, the new elements would keep failing. Easy to replace those receptacles yourself, she said.

© iSTOCKIMAGE.COM

Drove home. Got stove model number. Called store. Woman #2 confirmed they had replacement receptacles in stock. Feeling miserly, decided not to call an electrician and try it myself, first time. Enlisted husband’s help to make sure I didn’t electrocute myself. ID’d corresponding circuit breaker and switched it off. Turned element knob to confirm power was off. Removed one old receptacle.

Drove to store with receptacle. Man #1 looked up part, went into the back, returned with new receptacle. Looked different. He said it would fit.

Drove home. Checked that circuit-breaker was switched to off. Turned knob to confirm power was off. Installed new receptacle. Tricky. Finally fit at one end but not the other ― element didn’t push in far enough to nestle in drip tray. Called shop to confirm right part. Woman #3 said it should fit. Tried again. Called shop. Just closed, Man #2, said not open again until day after tomorrow. Turned power back on. Cooked dinner on one element.

Drove to store Monday. Talked with Man #1, who turned out to also be Woman #3 (high telephone voice), and apologized for giving wrong receptacle. I apologized for calling him a her. He found correct receptacles. Looked like the originals.

Drove home. Turned off power. Installed first receptacle. Turned on power. Worked. Forgot to switch off circuit breaker but luckily wasn’t electrocuted before remembering. Turned off power. Installed second receptacle. Turned on power. Worked.

Now, about those track lights that went out in the bedroom?

Called electrician.