Having the right tools to repair a broken chair or when your faucet suddenly leaks is important. However, how about when you need to do some basic electrical repairs at home?

In case you need to change your electrical switch, you will need these essential electrician tools in your arsenal.

1. Pliers – Every homeowner should have pliers ready because these are multi-functional tools. Below are different types of pliers that can help you with the following: 

• Needle-nose pliers – one of the most versatile with a skinny tip they can help reach small places and maneuver wires in precise methods.
• Side-cutting pliers – cut wires easily according to the desired length and strip them with ease.
• Tongue and groove pliers – use these to undo bolts that hold circuits together.

2. Screwdrivers – Like pliers, screwdrivers are something you don’t want to not have. It can help you remove the cover plate of an electrical socket or switch. Just make sure that your Philipps or flat screwdriver is properly insulated so you don’t risk accidentally shocking yourself.

3. Wire strippers – It ensures that when stripping the insulation from a wire, the copper cable is not damaged because you can control the right amount of pressure needed. There are other types of strippers that include cutting teeth, so you can cut the wire ends at the same time. This is basically a fancier side-cutting pair of pliers.

4. Voltage tester and meter –  This can help to identify whether a wire is “live” or not. It means that it can check if there’s any voltage in the wire before you start cutting it. An extremely important tool for most electrical projects.

5. Electric Drill– arguably the first power tool everyone should get, there isn’t’ much this can’t do. From making screwing much faster, to drilling holes for wires, circuit boards, and other tasks it is essential to your toolbox. 

This isn’t a comprehensive list for all electrical applications by any means. However, this can serve as a good starting point for most people, and they can be used for other tasks like mechanical- bikes, drilling – installing screws in furniture, and much more.