How to Replace a Faulty Electrical Outlet

This article will tell you how to replace a bad or faulty electric outlet safely.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• a new electric receptacle
• screwdriver

1. 
   turn the power off by flipping off the breaker

   First, turn off the power to the electrical outlet that you are replacing. You can do this by flipping off the breaker in your breaker box or removing the fuse from your fuse box that controls the power to the outlet. It's always a good idea to check the outlet after you have turned the power off by plugging something into it and making sure there is no power still on the outlet.

2. 
   remove the outlet faceplate

   After you have safely turned the power to the outlet off, take the screwdriver and remove the screw in the middle of the outlet faceplate that holds it on and then remove the faceplate.

3. 
   remove the screws attaching the receptacle to the outlet box in the wall

   Once you have removed the outlet faceplate, take the screwdriver and remove the screws that attach receptacle to the outlet box in the wall. There should be 2 to 4 screws to remove.

4. 
   pull receptacle out of outlet box

   After you have removed the screws, gently pull the receptacle out of the outlet box that is inside the wall.

5. 
   remove the wires from the receptacle

   Once you have the receptacle pulled out of the wall, take your screwdriver and loosen the screws on the side of the receptacle just enough so that you can remove the electrical wires. Then, remove all wires from the receptacle.

6. 
   place the wires back on the new receptacle

   Now, get your new electric receptacle and re-attach the wires that you just removed from the old receptacle. The wiring goes as follows:
   
   The black wire coming from the wall is the hot wire and goes to the brass screw.
   
   The white wire coming from the wall is the neutral wire and goes to the silver screw.
   
   The green wire is the ground wire and goes to the green screw.
   
   Tighten the screws that hold the wires as you put the wires in place.

7. 
   place the new receptacle back in the outlet box and re-attach screws

   Next, put the new receptacle back in the outlet box inside the wall and re-attach the screws that hold the receptacle to the outlet box.

8. 
   re-attach the faceplate

   Once you have re-attached the receptacle to the outlet box in the wall, you can then put the faceplate back on the outlet, position the screw in the hole that holds it on and tighten it.

9. 
   turn the power to the outlet back on by flipping the breaker or replacing the fuse

   Now, turn the power back onto the outlet by flipping the breaker back on or inserting the fuse back into your fuse box.

10. 
    plug into the outlet and make sure it's working properly

    Once you have turned the power back onto the outlet, plug something into the outlet and make sure it is working properly. If it is, the job is finished and you have successfully installed a new electrical outlet. If it still isn't working properly, you may have a loose or faulty wire in the wall and should consult an electrician.

[ghostwoman]

on 9/12/2009 Awesome article on how to replace a faulty electrical outlet.

5*s and a recommend. Good reading!