HOME WIRING REPAIRS IN THE REAL WORLD

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The replacement of a four-way switch, used in conjunction with two three-way switches to afford control from three locations, is done in the same manner. A four-way has four side terminals — sometimes all one color, or sometimes one pair is colored differently than the other. There should be two separate cables entering this switch box, with two wires from one cable forming a pair that attaches to one set of terminals and two wires from the other making a second pair to connect to the remaining two terminals.

After careful study of the old switch and the instructions for the new one (three- and four-way switches almost always include their own wiring diagrams), transfer one wire at a time from the old switch to the new. Don't forget the ground wire. Finish all of your jobs by reinstalling the switch and coverplate and restoring the power. Have you had enough of the real world No? Then read on for some straight dope on receptacles.

Project 2: Receptacles, Receptacles

It seems like there are never receptacles where you really need them. The National Electric Code stipulates that no point along a wall can be more than six feet from a receptacle ("plug," "outlet"), and that's just the beginning. Kitchen counters, short wall spaces divided by door openings, and other circumstances can quickly escalate the number required in a job that satisfies codes. So imagine my sympathy for someone like you, perhaps living in a house erected before electricity-never mind codes-who has just lost the use of one of those sacred springs of power. Old houses that were wired "after the fact" can get on your nerves when a receptacle can't accept a polarized plug or just plain doesn't work. Even in modern houses-houses wired to the teeth--the loss of one strategic outlet can leave you fumbling over extension cords and grumbling to yourself. Fortunately, replacing those old receptacles is as easy as replacing a switch. Just follow my previous guidelines for selecting a replacement and cutting the power, and you're ready to get dirty.

After removing the coverplate screw and then the attachment screws, gently pull the receptacle from its box. Then, you'll probably see one of these three scenarios: (1) one cable with its wires attached directly to the receptacle, (2) two cables with wires from both attached directly to the receptacle, or (3) three cables whose wires are wirenutted to a "pigtail" set of wires that are connected to the receptacle. The first case is an example of the end of a circuit or a dead-end run. The second, which is the most common, is an outlet in the middle of a circuit, with one cable bringing power in and the other cable taking power out to the next box. The third is an example of the box being used as a junction site, with one cable bringing power in and the other two taking power out in two different directions.

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