Ultimate Guide: Wiring

Creative Homeowner (series): Ultimate Guide: Wiring, 7th edition This is one of the best Do-It-Yourself books I have ever read. That's not to say that an ignoramus can start monkeying around with household current without really knowing what he's doing, but if you have a good basic understanding of electricity this book will guide you through almost any project you want to tackle. I found the arrangement of subjects to be a bit odd. The first sections in the book discuss basic circuitry and wiring while the section titled " Understanding Electricity" starts on page 228. "Tools and Their Uses" follows that and then we get "Materials and Equipment". I suggest reading these parts of the book first and then looking up your project in the appropriate section. Probably the best feature of this book is the vast number of excellent photographs illustrating exactly what your project will look like at various stages in a step-by-step layout. I didn't count them, but I'm sure they number in the hundreds. Each one is crystal clear and in color. The photos are close enough to the work to show what is being done without the viewer having to wonder what he's looking at. While this book does cover many basic instructional issues regarding electricity and wiring, about half of the book is devoted to numerous articles on how to do specific projects. It covers such things as: Wiring a Three-Way Switch Installing a Recessed Light Fixture Replacing a Fluorescent Ballast Installing Door Chimes Installing a Dryer (or Range) Receptacle Installing Low-Voltage Lighting (outdoors) Installing a Whole-House Surge Arrester Installing an Optional Standby Generator There are many more projects but this list should give you an idea of the depth and breadth of this book. The only thing I can find to criticize about this book is the statement found on the cover claiming, "Meets Current NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE Standards". While I am sure that it meets the code that was in effect when the book was written, nowhere does the book clarify exactly WHICH code was in effect then. My copy of the 7th edition, which I bought in June 2012, lists a copyright date of 2010. A new edition of the NEC (National Electrical Code) was issued in 2011, and another just this year (2014). I assume that the 7th edition covers the older code, not the current one. This does not detract from the quality and usefulness of this book, however, since I'm sure you won't get into trouble if you follow the procedures in this book. Highly recommended for the competent, careful, do-it-yourself homeowner.

I enjoy doing projects around the house, but wanted to have a guide to make sure that I'm doing things correctly and safely. This book was a great price and is EXTREMELY helpful. It covers the "basics" as well as more advanced projects. The pages are very think/sturdy, which is great because you can have the book by your side when doing a project without having to worry if the pages will tear. The book offers step-by-step instructions and pictures that illustrate how to do the projects. I have pages marked-up and dog-eared so I can go back to them easily. Great buy and I highly suggest getting this book if you are a homeowner who likes to do projects yourself around the house!

The problem with most schematics and instructions that come with devices or components is the 2d drawings and explanations that are geared towards aspiring electricians. I found this book through random social media post and bought it instantly. The diagrams and explanations are easy to follow with lots of color and depth. I have some electrical experience but even i learned quite a few things from the simple explanations

I had only very basic knowledge and wanted a book with diagrams and instructions, not a computer one. This helped my first solo project, confirming my guess. It shows different switches and household projects. The photos are clear and colorful on good weight glossy pages. It meets my needs for now.

Purchased this book to make sure my electrician wiring my house is doing everything correctly and to newest NEC codes. This book was insightful; I found a few mistakes that that electrician made like bundling wires, no nail plates and the face plates not in the right positions for the drywall. Not a big deal but I purchased this book to educate myself on our home improvement project. It was worth every penny.

I redid the wiring in my house because of this book. It takes a bit of understanding, but the diagrams make the stuff I learned in circuits more easily applicable to home wiring. And if you never took a college or tradeschool class on circuits, it starts from the ground up. Just make sure you find a comfy chair, because there's a lot to learn in here depending on the project! But overall, very simple, with a lot of good diagrams to help the new homeowner, or more experienced one, out.

Great background information on electricity itself and all the tools you should use. Lots of good ideas to pluck from. I liked the diagrams of the basic types of circuits of how you can connect them. Simple stuff like ending a circuit or creating an end of run switch, etc. and how to do it.

I have a lot of construction skills, but wiring is not one of them. I've spent the summer building a small studio/guest house and this book let me run the wiring properly. No, it wasn't a complicated job, but when it comes to electricity I want to know I'm not going to fry myself, or burn down the building. This book explained everything very clearly, with excellent photos and instructions. Definitely worth every penny.

Very informative and a good buy but because it covers so many different topics I felt it could have been more in-depth in some areas specifically branch circuits in a home. I would definitely recommend it for any DIYer.

I use it as a reference book. Serves its purpose.

has useful basic info