Priya Ramaswamy

Safety, codes and knowing your limits

Priya Ramaswamy writes about doing home projects safely: what to shut off first, what the codes ask for, and where a job stops being DIY and needs a licensed electrician, plumber or gas fitter. Her guides cover GFCI outlets, ceiling boxes, permits and emergency shut-offs, with clear numbered steps and the source behind every requirement. She is calm rather than alarming, notes where rules differ between the US and Canada or from one city to the next, and closes with the signs that it is time to call a pro.

Writes about

Electrical safety
GFCI outlets
Permits and codes
Emergency shut-offs
When to call a pro

Priya Ramaswamy is a house byline of the Renovation Videos editorial team. Drafts are prepared with software help, and every fact is checked against the sources cited on the page. How we check facts

By Priya

8 guides

Building a Paver Walkway: Locates, Base, Sand, Pattern and Joints
Planning
A paver walkway is mostly what is under it. Find the buried lines first, build a compacted base, screed the sand, and lock the joints at the end.
4 min read
Replace a Switch or Outlet Safely: Testing, Wiring and Limits
Safety
Swapping a switch or outlet like for like is the most approachable electrical job in a house, but only after the breaker is off and two testers agree the circuit is dead. Here is the order, and where to stop.
6 min read
Deck Building Basics: Footings, Ledger, Joists and Permits
Planning
A deck is a structure people stand on above the ground, and the parts that hold it up, the footings and the ledger, are the parts that must be right. Here is the order of work, and where a permit and an inspector come in.
7 min read
Installing a Ceiling Fan: Is Your Ceiling Box Rated for It?
Safety
A ceiling fan is heavier than a light and it moves, so it has to hang from a box made to carry it. Most ceiling fan problems that matter, from wobble to a fan that comes down, start with the box, not the fan.
4 min read
GFCI Outlets: Where They’re Required and How to Test Them
Safety
A GFCI outlet cuts the power faster than a blink when current leaks somewhere it shouldn’t, such as through you. Knowing where they belong, and testing the ones you have, is one of the cheapest safety checks in the house.
4 min read
Do You Need a Permit? Common Home Projects in the US and Canada
Safety
Permits are set by your city or county, not by a national rule, so the only sure answer comes from your local building department. But the patterns are similar everywhere: structure, new plumbing, gas and most electrical work need one; finishes and like-for-like repairs usually don’t.
4 min read
How to Shut Off Your Water, Power and Gas in an Emergency
Safety
Find your main water valve, your electrical panel and your gas meter today, while nothing is wrong. Water and power you can shut off yourself. With gas, if you smell it, the right move is to get out and call for help, not to hunt for a valve.
4 min read
When to Call a Licensed Electrician, Plumber or Gas Fitter
Safety
Plenty of home repairs are safe to do yourself. Gas work, panel and service wiring, structural changes and anything involving asbestos are not. Here’s where the line usually falls, and how to check a pro’s licence before you hire.
4 min read