home sectionWhen it comes to home repairs there are some things you should leave to the pros, but there are also things you don't need to spend money on a handyman for. Fixing a faulty electrical outlet is an example of something you can do yourself with a minimum of worry and cost. Just make sure you put safety first.
Turn off the power to the outlet at the fuse box or circuit breakers. Tag the circuit breaker box 'Man at Work' or something similar so no one mistakenly turns the power back on while you're working.
Test the outlet with a circuit tester or an electrical appliance to make sure the power is off. Place the tester's probes inside the plug. If the tester's light goes on, recheck the main power and retest until there's no power in the outlet.
Unscrew the cover plate and remove it.
Unscrew the outlet and pull it out of the wall. It should come out a few inches. Set the screws aside.
Using colored pens or tape, mark where each wire was attached to the outlet. The wires and screws will be different colors; note the places where they attach.
Loosen the screws holding the wires and remove the outlet.
Take the old outlet with you to a hardware or electrical-supply store. A salesperson can help you find the correct outlet to replace the old one. Keep the old outlet as a guide to installing the new one.
Using the marks on the old outlet as guides, attach the wires to the new outlet. Wrap the wires around the terminals with needle-nose pliers or your fingers.
Tighten the screws around the wires.
Screw the outlet back into the wall.
Screw the cover plate back on.
Reactivate the proper circuits at the fuse box and test your work.
