In the spirit of learning new things, John and I tend to tackle home improvement projects on our own before calling in the experts. Sometimes it works out: John fixed our leaky toilet and I fixed a slow drain. Other times, we’re less successful.
For example, John (with the help of his dad) was able to install a dimmer switch in our basement. With this new found confidence, we tried to install a dimmer switch in our kitchen. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out. Our 1950’s home has multi-colored wiring*, so things weren’t as straight-forward as the instructions on the dimmer switch. We even opened up multiple light switches to compare the wiring. Too bad one switch had red, white, and blue wires, while a different one had orange, purple, and green.
After putting things off for over a year, we finally called in the professionals. For a little more than $100, we had new dimmer switches in our kitchen and in our back room. And it was well worth it. We supported a local business and have peace of mind that the electrical work was done properly.
Have you had to call in a professional for a DIY project that went wrong?
* We learned that the multi-colored wiring isn’t just for aesthetics. The different colors tell the electrician which outlet is connected to which fuse.
