Lugoff Mobile Home Supply 164 Boulware Road Lugoff,SC 29078 803-438-9571
Down to Earth Help and Pricing. They will ship what you need!
Mobile Home Electrical Repair Tips:
Always turn off the power before working on anything and then confirm that it is off!
Mobilehome Switch and Outlets:
Mobile homes use a "one piece" style box that, if you open it up and look, compresses the wire together in a "v" shaped slot. These I find over time will break connection due to heating up from the current load being passed through them. I can usually troubleshoot this problem by merely tapping on the wall next to outlets or switches on the circuit that has either quit working or is working intermittently and see if this causes the lights to blink.The scientific method is to determine in which direction a circuit is connected and using a volt meter find the last outlet that has power. Chances are that the open circuit problem is at this outlet the last one that has power, preventing the passing of current to the rest of the circuit. These can be replaced with same type found at a mobile home supply. However I prefer to remove the original type of device and install what is called a snap in box (also called an old work box) and then install either a outlet or switch of the standard home type to keep the problem from returning. I also feel this is the safest way to do it. Be sure to wrap the wire around the screws and not use the quick wire hole on the back of the device. Remember white wire on the silver screw, black wire on the brass screw and gound wire on the green screw. In the mobile homes I have owned I replaced all the switches and outlets when I first got them. This can be done with less expense than you might think, if done by you provided you feel comfortable doing this task yourself. See example of a single gang snap-in box, mobile home style outlet and switch insides below.
This was an answer to an email about replacing a Mobilehome light switch.
Yes, you can remove the old switch box, usually the two screws in the face of the box and use a "snap-in" or an "old work box" and insert this into the hole left by removing the old box tighten the screws to lock it in place. Then just install a standard house type switch. I am assuming that this is a single pole switch, meaning that the light is controlled from only one location. Inside the box twist the white wires together and cap them with a wire nut and connect the black wires to the screws on the switch. The bare ground wires will also just twist together in a pig tail fashion and then connect to the ground screw on the switch. Please be sure to make sure the power is off to the circuit and be careful.
Circuit Breaker Box:
Remember to turn off the main breaker inside and outside the home before touching anything and make sure it is off, if you are not sure about what you are doing call a licensed electrician.
The circuit breaker box in a mobilehome is not really a different than a standard home box. The major differences you may find are the mobilehome breakers usually have color coded handles and there are some combinational breakers such as a 20 amp and 30 amp double pole (240 volt) made together. Mobilehomes are now required most everywhere to have a redundant ground installed. This is a fourth wire that comes from the outside breaker box/meter. The breakers can quite easily interchange with breakers from a D.I.Y. store. Murray will interchange with GE and so on. If you need to replace a defective breaker take it with you to match it up. Check to figure out why the original breaker went bad. Was it just fate or is there a problem with the wiring. Since the power is off this is a good time to check the tightness of all the connections in the box and look for wires that appear to have got hot. These wires will be discolored at the end of the insulation and may be blistered. If you need information on the assembly and installation of a power pole I suggest you contact your local Planning and Zoning Dept. for help. Our local Dept. has a handout with diagrams and instructions on constructing a power pole, or you can click the link below.
Questions or comments? Please feel free to contact me.