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LifestyleThe Basics of Household Wiring. The Electrical System A to Z (Udemy.com)
Everything Electricity, from your Circuit (Breaker) Panel, Outlets, Switches, Receptacles, Light Fixtures, Cable, Wire..
Created by: Terry Peterman
Last updated May 2018
Our take
Based on the ratings of 5,267 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in May 2018. No course pays to be reviewed.
Terry Peterman's course is a short walk through a home's electrical system, from the power meter and main breaker to the branch circuit panel, then receptacles, switches and light fixtures. It has about 25,000 students and more than 5,000 reviews, with a 4.6 rating. Peterman runs a DIY wiring site and describes himself as a journeyman electrician with more than 35 years in the trade. The audience is homeowners and the curious, with a nod to would-be electricians. Reviewers call it a good introduction, not a professional education.
Praise is mostly about clarity. Reviewers describe short modules, plain explanations and a level that suits someone outside the field. About 85 percent of ratings are four or five stars. The complaints are consistent too. Several say the footage looks old, and one points to archive clips from dated educational courses. Others say Peterman reads to the camera without looking at it, or just repeats what the video already said. One reviewer wanted to see him work through real examples and show what newer codes look like. Another found it a bit basic.
The last update was May 2018, which matters for a subject tied to electrical code. Check local rules before you start any work. The section lengths show where the time goes: receptacles get 36 minutes and switches 19, while rough wiring gets 8 and light fixtures only 4, despite the description promising an in-depth look at rough-in. Under two hours, it works best as a first evening of study, before reading local code or hiring an electrician for bigger jobs.
Pros
- Short modules that reviewers find easy to follow with no electrical background
- Receptacles get 36 minutes and switches 19, and the goals cover GFCI, 3-way and 4-way wiring
- Taught by a journeyman electrician with more than 35 years in the trade
- Twelve quizzes across 15 short sections, plus extra resources to explore
Cons
- Video is dated, with archive footage and a clear American-market focus
- Last updated May 2018, and one reviewer wanted newer codes shown
- Reviewers call Peterman's delivery flat and read-aloud, and one wants deeper quizzes
Good information. It is very easy to understand for someone who is not in the field of electricity.
Suits true beginners and homeowners. Basic math and a little mechanical sense help, per the requirements list.
What you will learn
- Understand how electricity works, how it is generated, transmitted to, and distributed throughout your home.
- Wire a receptacle (regular, switched, GFCI), a single-pole switch (3 and 4-way), a light fixture, and more!
- Have the knowledge and skills to safely and competently complete most home electrical projects and repairs.
Course content
15 sections · 29 lectures · 1.8 hours of video 12 quizzes, 1 article
- 1Introduction to Learn the Basics of Household Wiring. 1 free preview1 lecture · 1 min
- 2Safety First! 2 free previews2 lectures · 1 quiz · 5 min
- 3The Basics of Electricity 2 free previews2 lectures · 1 quiz · 3 min
- 4The Distribution Panel 1 free preview2 lectures · 1 quiz · 6 min
- 5Breakers Explained1 lecture · 1 quiz · 2 min
- 6Wires and Cables3 lectures · 1 quiz · 5 min
- 7Electrical Theory2 lectures · 1 quiz · 4 min
- 8Rough Wiring3 lectures · 1 quiz · 8 min
- 9Electrical Outlets, Receptacles5 lectures · 1 quiz · 36 min
- 10Arc-fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) Breakers1 lecture · 1 quiz · 3 min
- 11Electrical Outlets, Switches3 lectures · 1 quiz · 19 min
- 12Electrical Outlets, Switched Receptacles1 lecture · 1 quiz · 9 min
- 13Light Fixtures1 lecture · 1 quiz · 4 min
- 14Supplemental Information1 lecture · 2 min
- 15Conclusion1 lecture · 1 min
Who it is for
The instructor says it suits
- Homeowners with an interest in learning how to complete small electrical projects and repairs throughout the home.
- Anyone that may be looking towards a career as an electrician would also benefit from this knowledge base.
- Anyone with a general interest in, or curiosity of how electricity works, and how it is put in use in the home.
What you need before you start
- No materials or special software required.
- A desire to learn, and a healthy respect for, and an interest in electricity.
- Basic math skills and some mechanical inclination would be an asset.
How it compares
Against the other 335 rated Udemy courses in Engineering on CourseDuck:
- Rating4.6 out of 5higher than 74% of them
- Reviews5,267#13 of 336 by number of reviews
- Length1.8 hoursshorter than 88% of them
- Last updatedMay 2018earlier than 92% of them
Course Description
After completing this course, students will have a solid knowledge of the fundamentals of electricity and how it functions within the home, including how electricity is generated, transmitted to, transformed, and how it enters the home through the power meter, the main breaker, and the branch circuit breaker panel.
From there we cover in detail all types of receptacles, switches, and light fixtures, and how to correctly wire them. Safe practices are covered in detail, including the use of circuit testers. The course includes an in-depth look at rough-in wiring, and explains the role, use and importance of ground fault circuit and arc fault circuit protection.
At the end of the course the student will know how to take on most small electrical projects and repairs around the home, both safely and competently.
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Instructor Details
- 4.6 Rating
5,267 Reviews
Terry Peterman
I am Terry Peterman, the Internet Electrician. I am a Journeyman Electrician with more than 35 years experience in all aspects of the Electrical Industry. I founded a DIY home wiring website back in 1997, in the pioneer years of the Internet.
The website is designed to share my knowledge and experience with the home handy-person, do-it-yourself (DIY) type in performing small and medium sized home electrical repairs, renovations, or additions to existing home electrical systems both safely, and competently.
We have a popular channel of YouTube, currently with over 22 million views, over 100K subscribers, and we are active on most social media sites.
On the personal side, I am happily married to Sandy Peterman and we have an adult son Lyle, a Realtor in Calgary Alberta. We live on Vancouver Island in Canada in the summer, and have a small development project we are working on in Costa Rica building vacation home (s) off the Pacific coast in beach town called Junquillal.
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Reviews
By Andrei-Octavian Pascu on 8/25/2026
this 2 hours lecture comprehends all that you need to understand how the electrical installations work around your house. while it doesn't dwell deep into a professional work, it gives a great insight on what you can do in case of a small electrical problem
By Dustin Sillito on 8/11/2026
Learned a lot. Videos are outdated. And the instructor just says his explanations but would like to see him do some examples. Like showing us on camera what new codes are like. But all in all, I did indeed learn something. Thank you
By Raul Maldonado on 6/10/2026
This was a very straightforward course and it clearly explained each topic. I think it serves as a great introduction to working with household wiring and helps to demystify the tools and procedures for household wiring.
By Sean Brassil on 10/19/2025
This course presents a lot of good information and I did learn from it. However, the course is exclusively focused on US and Canada electrics. For me here in UK, it could be misleading. Our standards and codes are very different.
By Trevor Tran on 5/30/2024
very helpful course. I feel more knowledge and confident when working electrical related stuff in my house. the main video course is very demonstrative and easy to comprehensive. The video after match from Instructor Terry Peterman is distracting to me and not easy to understand. there should be demonstration video presenting along with what the instructor mention.
By Bernie Gifford on 9/5/2022
This course is very informative and straight to the point. The instructor spoke clearly, went into detail even more once the video was over and he gave links to learn even more. I highly enjoyed learning with this instructor.
By Bianca Lara on 8/2/2021
I was interested in this course because I am currently working on fixing an RV home I recently got. Since my new-to-me motor home have some electrical issues I felt inclined to take on the job myself instead of having to pay an abundant of $ to an electrician, for basic to moderate jobs I could do myself. This course gave me the proper knowledge to do those jobs.
By Shijith Sreedharan on 12/30/2020
Absolutely the best course for everyone who love to learn how electricity works, how home wiring is done, safety procedures and more. Animations and videos are awesome, short and sweet! Probably the best investment you could make.
By Sarah Pfeiler on 12/27/2020
simple and easy to understand
By Becky Hunsinger on 12/20/2020
Easy to understand. Did not use too technical language
By David Angel on 12/20/2020
This class was great. I've used the skills I learned here several times over the past year and have completed numerous home improvement projects. I'd recommend it to anybody interested in learning how to be safer
By Abraham Apter on 11/24/2020
yes thank you
Quality Score
No CourseDuck member has rated this course yet. Taken it? Give each part a thumbs up or down.
Overall Score : 92 / 100
- Video Duration:
1.8h - Price: $22.99
- Provider: Udemy
- Updated:
May 2018 - Level:
Beginner - Language:
English - Certificate:
Yes - Lectures:29 in 15 sections
- Practice:12 quizzes
- Students:25,400
- Subtitles:4 languages
- Udemy badge:Bestseller
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