How to Install A Surge Protector Outlet

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Protecting sensitive electronic equipment like computers or high fidelity stereo components often require a surge protector to be installed between the item and the wall power socket. To plug a surge protector you must have a three-prong outlet for the ground to be attached. If you live in an older home, you will probably need to replace the two-prong outlet with a three-prong outlet. At this point, it might be wise and aesthetically more pleasing to install a surge protector outlet. Read on to learn how to install a surge protector outlet.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Surge protector outlet
Screwdriver
Wire strippers
Wire nuts

Step1

Remove the old outlet cover. Carefully pull the outlet out of the wall box.

Step2

Unscrew the three wires from the outlet. There is one each of the wires white, black and bare copper. Make sure that the ends of the wires are straightened and you have removed 1/2 inch of insulation off the end of the black and white wires.

Step3

Take the surge protector outlet and spread the three wires out and away from each other so that you have space to work with each wire individually. Separating the wires also reduces the risk of shorting one lead against the other and avoids receiving a nasty shock yourself.

Step4

Take each pair of wires in turn and use a wire nut to connect them together firmly. The wire nut will connect the black wire from the wall box and black wire from the back of the outlet. Next the white wire and white wire on the outlet are connected together, and finally the bare copper wire and the last wire on the outlet (will probably be copper or green color) will be joined together.

Step5

Push the outlet back into the box making sure that the ends of the wires do not come loose from the wire nuts and touch each other. Now replace the outlet face plate and you now have installed a new surge protector outlet.