How-To Guides

Don’t know where to start on an installation or repair job? Browse our how-to guides for answers to popular questions.

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How-To Guides

How to Choose the Right Light Bulbs
How-To Guides

How to Choose the Right Light Bulbs

Determining the right light bulbs for your office isn’t as easy as it used to be. We’ll break down everything you need to know—from energy efficiency to warm and cool lighting.

How to Select the Proper Compression Fitting
How-To Guides

How to Select the Proper Compression Fitting

The right size compression fitting is critical for a safe, tight, and secure fit. Learn more about selecting the right size compression fitting.

How to Break Apart Concrete
How-To Guides

How to Break Apart Concrete

Concrete sidewalks, patios, or steps can crack and crumble over time, making them not only unattractive but also a dangerous hazard to your family and anyone who visits your home. If you’ve decided your old and broken concrete has to go, you don’t necessarily have to pay a contractor to do the job.

How to Use Heat-Shrink Tubing
How-To Guides

How to Use Heat-Shrink Tubing

From the wiring in your car to the complex systems used to power airplanes and military equipment, heat-shrink tubing is available in a wide variety of colors and can be found nearly everywhere.

How to Join and Loosen Galvanized Pipe Fittings
How-To Guides

How to Join and Loosen Galvanized Pipe Fittings

Prior to around 1960, galvanized steel pipe was a popular alternative to lead pipe for home water supply lines. This type of steel pipe is coated in zinc to protect it from corrosion and rust.

How to Assemble Boltless Shelving
How-To Guides

How to Assemble Boltless Shelving

Boltless shelving units are a convenient way to increase the amount of heavy-duty storage in your space. They are popular because they require little to no tools to assemble and typically offer storage that can handle heavy amounts of weight.

Tips for Removing Hose Clamps
How-To Guides

Tips for Removing Hose Clamps

Hose clamps, or clips, are designed to create secure hose connections over fittings. Their intended purpose is to prevent leaks, including liquid, air, or gas leaks. They have also been used to correct alignments and for emergency repairs.

How to Install Mixing Valves
How-To Guides

How to Install Mixing Valves

A mixing valve is any plumbing device that balances the mix of hot and cold water that comes out of the tap. Every time you turn on your shower or the faucet on your sink, it’s the mixing valve that prevents you from getting sprayed with extremely hot or cold water.

How to Connect Electrical Wires
How-To Guides

How to Connect Electrical Wires

Learning how to connect two or more wires together can be a useful skill. Many appliances, stereos, and devices rely on wires to transmit signals. But working with electrical wires can be dangerous.

How to Remove Wedge Anchors
How-To Guides

How to Remove Wedge Anchors

Once installed, concrete fasteners such as wedge anchors are generally designed to stay put. Because they are often used to secure heavy machinery or structural framework, they are meant to be permanent.

How to Install Wedge Anchors
How-To Guides

How to Install Wedge Anchors

Wedge anchors are specialized support bolts used to attach fixtures such as wood two-by-fours into solid concrete. They consist of a threaded stud or anchor clip, an expansion clip, a washer, and a hex nut and are typically made of steel or stainless steel.

How to Dig a Trench for Underground Electrical Wires
How-To Guides

How to Dig a Trench for Underground Electrical Wires

Figuring out how to install outdoor electrical wire can be a challenge, but it’s useful to know if you’re trying to determine how to set up landscape lighting, hide unseemly garage wiring, or even build an outdoor deck. Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting started.

How to Test an HVAC Motor
How-To Guides

How to Test an HVAC Motor

The blower motor is an essential component of any HVAC system. Whenever the system is turned on, it’s the job of the blower motor to help produce warm or cool air. To put it simply, without a well-functioning blower motor, your heating or air-conditioning system will stop working.

How to Use a Soldering Iron
How-To Guides

How to Use a Soldering Iron

Whether you’re tinkering away at DIY projects in your garage or entering a career in electronics repair, metalworking, plumbing, or a variety of other fields, a soldering iron is an essential tool that you’ll want to have by your side.

Using Quick-Connect Fittings
How-To Guides

Using Quick-Connect Fittings

Push-to-connect fittings are pretty much exactly what their name would suggest. Also called push fittings or quick-connect fittings, they take the soldering or gluing out of basic plumbing connections for a simpler user experience.

Megger Testing with a Megohmmeter
How-To Guides

Megger Testing with a Megohmmeter

A megohmmeter, or megger, is a device used to test electrical and insulation resistance. This is usually done by sending a high-voltage signal into the object being tested, typically a wire or motor. Using a megger is important for avoiding electric shock and equipment damage.