Ralph Childers
Electrical Professional
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Co-authored Articles (24)
How to
Discharge a Capacitor
Capacitors are found in a number of electrical appliances and pieces of electronic equipment. They store excess electrical energy during power surges and discharge it during power lulls to provide the appliance with a co...
How to
Read a Capacitor
Unlike resistors, capacitors use a wide variety of codes to describe their characteristics. Physically small capacitors are especially difficult to read, due to the limited space available for printing. The information i...
How to
Charge a Power Bank
Having a power bank with you can be extremely convenient, especially when you are away from a power outlet. Power banks ensure that your devices won't run out of charge. However, in order to charge your devices on the go...
How to
Test a Voltage Regulator
Voltage regulators are commonly found in vehicles and other electronic equipment. A voltage regulator will limit the maximum amount of voltage from a power source and prevents a device or alternator from shorting and ove...
How to
Measure Capacitance
Capacitance is the measure of how much electrical energy is stored in an object, such as a capacitor used in an electronic circuit. The unit for measuring capacitance is the farad (F), defined as 1 coulomb (C) of electri...
How to
Change a Ceiling Light
All the preparation & electrical safety info you need to change your ceiling lightsA good ceiling light revitalizes a room and even saves you money on electricity costs. Fortunately, you don’t need a professional to re...
How to
Reset a Breaker
How to locate your breaker and turn your power back onIf power goes out in part of your house, a circuit breaker that regulates the flow of electricity has likely been tripped. This wikiHow article will teach you how to...
How to Mount and Wire a Junction Box
A simple guide to setting up an electrical junction box Junction boxes protect electrical wires from damage, prevent shocks, and stop sparks from igniting flammable material nearby. To install one, you’ll need to strip...
How to
Wire a 3 Way Switch
A 3-way switch allows you to turn a light on or off from two different switches. 3-way switches are useful for large rooms with multiple entrances but require a bit more wiring than a standard, single-pole switch. The wi...
How to
Solder Electronics
Learning to solder through-hole components is an essential skill for any amateur hobbyist or electronic professional. You can learn what equipment and skills you'll need to get started soldering electronics properly.
How to
Make a Parallel Circuit
When connecting electrical devices to a power source, they can be hooked up to make either a series circuit or a parallel circuit. In a parallel circuit, the electrical current flows along several paths, and each individ...
How to
Read a Digital Ohm Meter
A digital ohmmeter (or ohm meter) is useful for measuring circuit resistance in electrical components. Digital ohm meters are far easier to read and use than their analog counterparts. The large digital display should ...
How to
Solve a Series Circuit
A series circuit is the simplest type of circuit: a single loop with no branching paths. The electrical charge leaves the positive terminal of the power supply, passes through each resistor or other components in turn, t...
How to
Test a Diode
In an electronic circuit, a diode is a small device that allows an electric current to flow through in only one direction. It works by having low resistance in one direction and high resistance on the other. You'll have ...
How to
Check Fuses
A blown fuse can be annoying, but it actually helps prevent electrical damage and fire. Fortunately, fuses are inexpensive and easy to replace. If the power’s out in your home or car, you should be able to check the fu...
How to
Bend Conduit
Whether you’re wiring a new home, replacing old electrical construction or even creating a furniture masterpiece, you’ll need to know how to bend conduit correctly and safely. You can bend conduit to fit many angles ...
How to
Test a Circuit
Whether you want to test a simple circuit you’ve made for a school project or a wall outlet in your home, there are several testing tools you can use to check for continuity—that is, a completed circuit. A continuity...
How to
Install a Toggle Switch
A toggle switch is an electrical component that controls the flow of electricity through a circuit using a mechanical lever that is manually switched. Though toggle switches come in several varieties, in their simplest f...
How to
Measure Voltage
Voltage is a measurement of potential electric energy between two points. You can measure the voltage of household circuitry or batteries using a digital multimeter, an analog multimeter, or a voltmeter. Most electrician...
How to
Fix Fluorescent Light Humming
In order to stop the hum of a fluorescent light, you can replace the old electromagnetic ballast with a new electronic ballast. Fluorescents are simple lights in that they only have two parts to them -- the bulb, and a b...
