Don’t you hate it when you’re vacuuming away in the middle of a room, when your vacuum suddenly goes dead? You turn around to find that the cord has come out of the wall – and not because you pulled too hard. At best, faulty outlets can be annoying. And at worst, they can pose a fire hazard. Luckily, faulty outlets are easy to change out, and the necessary supplies can be found at any local store that offers Tool Rentals. Let’s take a quick look at how easy it is to replace a faulty outlet.
What You’ll Need:
1. Needle nosed pliers with rubber or plastic handles
2. Flat head screwdriver
3. Philips head screwdriver
4. Wire strippers
5. Wire cutters
6. Voltage tester
7. Night light
8. 15amp/124volt OR 20amp/120volt duplex outlet
9. Outlet cover
What You’ll Do:
Gather your supplies, and buy anything you don’t have from a store that offers Tool Rentals.
1. Plug in the nightlight, and then turn off the power to the outlet. If the light goes out, the power is out.
2. Double check that the power is out with the voltage tester. Insert the probes into each of the top two holes. If the tester lights up, the outlet still has electricity.
3. Remove the faceplate and outlet’s mounting screws.
4. Gently pull the outlet out of the receptacle box. Look at the back of the outlet and make sure you have the right replacement type.
5. Note which wires go where. A cell phone pic will work, or transfer one wire at a time.
6. If the wires are wrapped around screws, unwrap the wires and skip to #8. If not, try to release the wires from the back of the outlet by inserting the flat head screwdriver into the slots next to the wires. Or, cut them off as close as possible to the outlet.
7. Strip 1/4 inch of the insulation from each of the wires.
8. Take the needle nosed pliers and make a hook shape at the end of each wire.
9. Hook each of your wires around the appropriate screws on the back of your new outlet. (Gold Screws=Black wires; Silver screws=White wires; Green screw=bare or green wire).
10. Pinch the wires tightly around the screws, to close the loops.
11. Tighten each screw.
12. Replace the outlet in the receptacle box.
13. Screw in the mounting screws.
14. Replace the faceplate.
15. Turn the power back on, and test the new outlet with the nightlight.
