How to Replace an Electrical Wall Plug
Electricians are expensive and may take days or even weeks to work you into their schedule. Learning to fix small electrical problems will not only save you a good deal of money it will also get the problem repaired much quicker. Replacing a wall plug that is no longer working can be completed in less than 30 minutes and is easy enough for any person to complete. All items needed for this project are available at any hardware or home improvement store. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Flathead screwdriver
- Phillips screwdriver
- Lamp or radio
- Outlet
- Electrical tape
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Instructions
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Turn off the power to the circuit you will be working on by flipping the appropriate breaker in the main circuit box. This box is generally outside the house on a wall or pole. Place a sign on the box to warn others not to turn the breaker back on.
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Plug a lamp or radio into a working plug that is on the same circuit as the faulty plug. If the item has power, you do not have the circuit turned off properly and will need to find the appropriate breaker.
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Remove the screw in the outlet cover with a screwdriver. Pull the cover loose and set it to the side.
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Remove the two retaining screws at the top and bottom of the outlet with a screwdriver. Pull the outlet away from the hole so you have access to the wires behind it.
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Loosen the screws holding the wires on the plug. Take note of the positions of the wires. Pull the wires away from the screws and set the old outlet to the side.
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Remove the new outlet from the packaging. Loosen its terminal screws with a screwdriver. You will have three wires, although older homes may only have two. Form the first 3/4 inch of each wire into a hook shape.
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Hook the black wire under the brass terminal screw and tighten the screw. Hook the white wire under the silver screw and tighten. The third wire is the ground and will either be bare copper wire or green. Hook this wire under the green screw and tighten.
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Wrap electrical tape around bare wire that is exposed to protect against arcing. Push the outlet back into the wall and replace the two screws that hold it in place. Replace the outlet cover.
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Turn the breaker to the circuit back on and test the outlet with a lamp or radio to ensure that it is working correctly.
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Tips & Warnings
Always replace a faulty outlet with the same type of outlet to prevent possible overheating or other damage.
References
- Photo Credit electric outlet 2 image by Dawn Williams from Fotolia.com
