Things You'll Need:
- Linesman Pliers, t-strippers, circuit tester, screw-drivers(phillips and flathead).
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Step 1
First make sure that the circuit is not live, if you have to you can trip the breaker in the electrical panel. After you are certain that the circuit is not live, then proceed. Your outlet should be in a box with at least one set of wires coming through, Black (hot), White (neutral), and Ground wires most likely copper. (14AWG for 15amp breakers and 12AWG for 20amp breakers). If its only two wires it will hook directly to the outlet, if there are three wires you will have to pigtail a single wire to the outlet. To do so, take a wire nut and wire all your black wires together with one extra wire to go to the outlet. Then do the same with the neutral and ground wires.
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Step 2
Once your wires are stripped back and ready to hook up, take the ground wire and make a small hook on the end of the wire so that it will fit on the green ground screw and attach it. Then take your white neutral wire(s) (if your wires are 14AWG wires you can stick the wires in the holes on the back of the outlet, if it is 12AWG you will have to make hooks on the wires to attach to the screw terminals.) and attach it to the neutral side of the outlet, this will be on the same side as the ground 99% of the time. If you are still not sure look at the front of the outlet at the holes, the long hole(usually on left) is the neutral the short hole is the hot side. The neutral screw terminals are usually a different color.
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Step 3
Then attach the hot wire to the hot side. If possible ground box by wrapping ground wire around a screw that the box is attached with. Now making sure the ground wire does not touch the hot or neutral screw terminals (tape around outlet if needed) push the outlet into the box and screw it to it.
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Step 4
Before you put the cover plate on turn the breaker back on and make sure it holds, then check for power at the outlet. If everything is good attach the cover plate.
