KAY JOHNSON, Medford

A. Call an electrician so he can fix it. Sometimes an outlet is wired to the switch, so that the lamp plugged into that outlet will light from the switch. I'd say you miswired the connection, and now it's easier to have a pro do it.

Don't feel too badly about it; it happened to the handyman, that know-it-all who knows it all, but is a littler short on electricity and plumbing. I fixed a chandelier, I thought, but no, it did not work right. So I called my electrician, who came right over and fixed it in two minutes flat. While he was working and I was wringing my hands, he asked with a grin, ``What is it that you do for a living, Mr. Hotton?'' He sent me a reasonable bill, which I gladly paid.

Q. The newel post on my grand staircase used to have an old lamp or light fixture. Now all that's left is a hole with miscellaneous wiring. Not even a decorative ball. Where can I find a lamp, ball, or other decorative top to put there?

MARGO VINE, Newburyport

A. With luck, you may find the fixture, or one like it, at an antiques dealer, junk dealer, or a store that specializes in Victoriana. A wood-turner could sell you the right-size ball, or possibly another topknot of some kind. When I did a story on a man who built a new Victorian-style house, he said he was at a loss for a topknot on the witch's-hat tower. Then he thought of a bowling ball. Perfect. You could do the same, although you should consider putting an oak capital on top of the newel as a base for the bowling ball. Be sure to remove or disarm the wiring.

Q. When I installed outdoor lights, the outlet boxes were set in openings in a brick wall. Trouble is, the boxes are loose, so the fixtures are loose. How can I make the boxes tight in their openings?

H.G., Framingham

A. Shims should tighten up the boxes. Drive wood shingles or any other flat, tapered wood between box and brick. Make it good and tight, and cut off any shims that stick out with a utility knife. You can buy plastic shims which may work better because they will not expand and contract as wood will.

Another way is to mortar the box in place. To do that, turn off the power, remove the fixture and pull out the box. Then line the opening with mortar (Sakrete Mortar Mix is easy to make) and insert the box. Let the mortar cure overnight, mount the fixture and restore power.

Q. My ranch house has recessed lighting in the ceilings. They are not zero-clearance fixtures, and insulation has been pulled back from them and from the top of them to prevent a buldup of heat. I am losing a lot of heat through those fixtures and I've had ice dams because the attic is warm. Would substituting fluorescent bulbs for the hotter incandescents allow me to put the insulation back?

DAVID SILVERSTEIN, Andover

A. No. Even with less heat from the fluorescents, those fixtures are still not ventilated properly, and heat could still build up, enough to damage wiring and reduce the life of the bulb. Your only option, other than leaving the insulatioin away from the fixtures, is to substitute them with zero-clearance fixtures. And, put in fluorescents anyway.

Q. I've been in my 1950s house for a year now, and I have had to replace all the blown bulbs twice so far. The bulbs are popping all over and frequently, and I don't know why. What is happening and can it be fixed?

DOUG PRECOURT, Hanover

A. Hmm, said the handyman, who called Bob White of Arlington, an electrician, who hmmed, too, adding that there may be no ground in the system, or there's an intermittent ground, which could cause surges that pop the bulbs.

So, said White, check with the wiring inspector in your community as to what should be done, and have a licensed electrician make the correciton. Not all communities have their own wiring inspector, said White, and if yours does not, call the town and find out where one can be contacted.

Q. The bulbs in some of the recessed lights in my nine-year-old house don't work; I can't get them to turn on. It sounds as if some of the fixtures are broken; can a recessed fixture be replaced without tearing the ceiling apart?

SUZANNE NESTOR, Swampscott

A. There should be no problem. Turn off the electric power and dismantle the fixture if necessary, before unscrewing it from its ceiling box. You will have to unwire it after releasing it. Take it to a lamp shop to get a similar fixture, or at least one of the same size so it will fit. Turning off the power is the first and most important part of the project.

Q. I have to replace a recessed ceiling light in my tub shower area, but I can find only a 7-inch-diameter replacement, and the opening is only 5 inches. The ceiling is tiled but I don't want to cut any tiles to make a bigger opening. Is there any way I can get around that difference without cutting the tiles?

E.P., North Andover, Mass.

A. Yes, but it might be worth at least trying to cut the tiles, because a fixture in a shower area is best flush with the ceiling. If the tiles were installed with adhesive, you can pry off the tiles around the original opening. Stick a chisel under the edge of the tile; it should pry off or tap off fairly easily, without breaking. If the tiles are in mortar, forget it. If the tiles come off OK, then you can cut them to form the larger opening, then cut through the ceiling to accommodate the 7-inch fixture.

If that is impossible or impractical, consider a nonrecessed, box-type fixture that would go over the opening and the tiles there now. It will hang down a little, about 3 inches, but that should not be enough to interfere with showering.

Here's an idea from Barbara Emeneau of Winchester: ``To get rid of stumps in the yard, without using a stump grinder, drill half-inch holes in the stump, lots of them, and put in soluble fertilizer three or four times the label strength. The fertilizer will promote and hasten decay. In winter, keep the holes filled with water and let it freeze; the expansion of the water will help split the trunk.

``You mentioned using bleach or salt to get rid of weeds in a patio. I use straight undiluted soluble fertilizer in heavy amounts, and it works.''

Two good points, and thanks. But be careful not to get that potent fertilizer on or near plants you don't want to do in.

Q. I have a three-bulb fixture in the ceiling. The bulbs keep burning out, routinely. I replace them every 1 1/2 months. An electrician said it might be a loose wire. What can I do?

B.K., Natick

A. Indeed it could be a loose wire, possibly causing a surge but not necessarily a short, which would knock out a breaker or fuse. So turn off the power, pull down the fixture and check for loose wires, and tighten them if you find any. The age of the house indicates there is probably no aluminum wire, which could cause problems. If there are no loose wires, then I suggest replacing the fixture. Short (no pun intended) of that, an electrician would have to spend some hours in finding the cause.

Q. Two of the light switches in my condo are used the most, and sometimes the lights flicker. Do yo think the wires are loose?

ELLEN STOFFARD, Boxford

A. They certainly might be, and they also may be aluminum wires, which were used some years ago but tend to loosen when they get hot. You could check them yourself, if you turn off the power, but if you are the least bit skittish, let an electrician do the troubleshooting. If the wires are aluminum, and are loose, a special connection can be installed to keep them tight.

I think the first things you should check are the switches. Yours are the most used, and switches can wear out. A switch is easily replaced with the power off, but again, if you are ignorant of such things or are skittish, let an electrician do it.

Finally, it could be the fixture, which also should be checked out by you or an electrician.