Requirement
4. Electrical: choose two of four
Required Often forgotten
The menu where the choice matters most. Two of the four involve no live house wiring, and two is exactly what this requirement asks for, so it can be met in full without opening a wall.
Notes and warnings
Warning. TWO OF THESE FOUR ARE WORK ON LIVE HOUSE WIRING AND TWO ARE NOT, AND YOU ONLY NEED TWO. Locating the main switch box and knowing how to reset a breaker or replace a fuse involves no wiring at all. Replacing a cord or repairing a plug or lamp socket is an unplugged appliance on a table. Those two together satisfy this requirement completely. Installing a single-pole light switch and replacing a wall outlet are both work inside a wall box on a house circuit. If you choose either, switch off at the breaker and confirm the circuit is dead before touching anything, because a wall switch being off is not the same as the circuit being off. Note also that some places require a permit or a licensed electrician for work on fixed wiring whoever is supervising: what the badge allows and what local law allows are separate questions.
What this is made of
Where this step comes from
- Home Repairs Merit Badge Requirements (Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-12-31), Requirement 4