Last year, almost 60,000 homes in the US were damaged or destroyed by fire caused by an electrical problem. But common electrical problems can be avoided with basic knowledge and some common sense.
Read MoreMost home owners have been there....standing in front of a metal box in the basement, flashlight in one hand, either trying to flick switches back and forth until the lights come back on or scared to touch anything for fear of being electrocuted or setting the house on fire.....
Read MoreWhat's to understand? You push the plug into the hole in the wall, your appliance turns on....simple!
Right? But as anyone who has ever plugged a window box air conditioner or a vacuum cleaner into an outlet, only to have the circuit breaker trip and the house go dark knows....all outlets are not created equal.