Electrical, Solar and Generators on The Homeowners Show

Electrical is the topic where the gap between a homeowner job and a licensed job is narrowest and the consequences are widest. The show treats it that way: what you can wire, what you should not, and how to tell whether the person quoting you knows the code.

Weston and Courtney Simon of New Builds Electric covered aluminum wiring, ungrounded outlets, panel problems, LED flicker, and the code violations that turn up in older houses. Electrician Robert Biehle explained losing a leg of power, what that looks like from inside the house, and when to call the power company instead of an electrician.

Backup power is its own running story. Snowmageddon 2021 was recorded during Winter Storm Uri with the grid down, pipes bursting and propane gone. Kevin later wired a tri-fuel portable generator to an interlock kit rather than a transfer switch, and explains why, plus how to size running against peak wattage. There is a full Westinghouse tri-fuel review covering 30 amp against 50 amp hookups, and a Hurricane Beryl episode that turns into live generator troubleshooting down to a 50 amp breaker that never closed.

Solar gets the most skeptical treatment on the show, largely because Alan Blair of Texas Energy Saver keeps coming back to explain it honestly: the 30 percent federal tax credit, battery sizing, grid tie limits, microinverters, and the predatory contracts homeowners sign at the kitchen table. David Rosa of Sunpro Solar added net metering credits and what panels do to your equity when you sell.

Lighting is the fun end: Lutron Caseta and the Diva dimmer, the Claro three way switch, Pico remotes, the Ecobee Switch Plus, and Marc Holway of Jellyfish Lighting on permanent programmable LED track. Start wherever your panel is.