How to Convert a Two-Prong Outlet
Two-prong outlets are outlets with no ground wire terminal connections, and they are no longer accepted for installation by electrical building code regulations. The ground wires running to these outlets are attached to a screw in the back of the wall box or joined with a wire nut and left in the back of the box. New three-prong outlets have grounding terminal connections on their sides and are safely installed by following simple safety precautions. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Portable electrical appliance
- Screwdriver
- Ground wire
- Tape measure
- Wire cutters
- Long-nose pliers
- Three-prong outlet
Instructions
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1
Turn off the power supply to the circuit where the two-prong outlet exists by flipping the corresponding circuit breaker in the breaker box. Plug a portable electrical appliance into the outlet, and turn it on. The appliance should remain off. If it does turn on, the wrong circuit breaker has been flipped.
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2
Remove the two-prong outlet's faceplate. Remove the screws holding the outlet to the box and carefully pull the outlet from the box. Loosen all terminal screws from the back of the two-prong outlet, and pull out the wires. Remove the outlet.
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3
Loosen the screw in the back of the outlet box and pull out the ground wire(s), or remove the wire nut from the end of the ground wire(s). For wall boxes with two sets of black, white and ground wires, measure and cut a 6-inch length of new ground wire. Hold one end of the 6-inch ground wire to the ends of the existing ground wires, and screw on a wire nut. Bend the other end of the 6-inch ground wire into a clockwise hook shape using long nose pliers.
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4
Attach the end of the ground wire to the green terminal screw on the new three-prong outlet. Tighten the screw head to the wire. Attach the black wire to a brass terminal screw and the white wire to the corresponding silver terminal screw -- for two sets of black/white wires, attach one black wire to each of the brass terminal screws and the white wires to each of the silver terminal screws. Tighten the screw heads to the wires.
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5
Push the wires gently into the back of the wall box. Attach the outlet to the box with the two screws, and fit the faceplate to the front of the outlet with the single screw. Turn on the power at the circuit breaker.
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Tips & Warnings
The 6-inch ground wire is cut and attached in place because terminal connections must have only one wire attached.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
