Do-it-yourself books recalled

Do-it-yourself books recalled


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SALT LAKE CITY -- Do-it-yourself projects may come with some hidden danger if you're taking your electrical wiring advice from some recently recalled books.

It's a case when saving money could end up costing you. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling nearly 1 million home improvement books published by Oxmoor House. The books focus on electrical wiring and contain incorrect instructions that could lead to dangerous mistakes.

The errors in diagrams and wiring instructions could cause people to be shocked or create a fire hazard.

John Christensen, who teaches aspiring electricians at the Davis-Weber Applied Technology Center, says even with good books, wiring it yourself can be tricky. "Are they getting the connections tight? Are they pinching the insulation?" he says.

Christensen says he's seen some dangerous home jobs. At the very least, he says, have someone who knows what they're doing look at the project.

In announcing the voluntary recall Friday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said no incidents have been reported.

The 951,000 recalled books have nine different titles, including "Lowe's Complete Home Improvement and Repair" and "Sunset You Can Build -- Wiring."

They have been sold at bookstores and home improvement stores nationwide for years -- some more than three decades ago.

Consumers can call 866-696-7602 for more details.

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Story compiled with contributions from Marc Giauque and The Associated Press.

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