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News Flash!
With the Holidays approaching it may be time to access your electrical outlets. Receptacles burn up, break and sometimes just can't hold a plug anymore. It may be as simple as you just want to change the color of the receptacle to match your new paint or decor. If your house is older, it may be wise to replace the receptacles before they cause any problems. You can buy new receptacles at any hardware store for just a few bucks, but do buy the better ones, even if they cost a bit more, since we are talking about electrical safety.
To change an electrical receptacle you can call in an electrician to charge you for an hour or two to do a five minute job, or you can do-it-your self and go out to a nice dinner for two with the money you'll save. It's really very simple and not dangerous at all if you do it right.
First make sure that the power is off to the outlet, and I don't just mean turning the wall switch off if it is connected to one. I mean finding your electrical service panel, probably in your basement or garage, and turning off the right breaker that supplies an electrical circuit to the outlet you want to replace. If you don't know for sure which breaker that is and you don't have an electrical tester, nor even know how to use one, there is a very simple way to make sure. Plug a radio into the outlet you want to work on. Turn it on and up loud enough so you can hear it when you are at the breaker box. Start flipping the breakers one by one until you hear the radio go off, then you know you have the right breaker...keep it off.
With a screwdriver, remove the cover plate. Tape the screw to the cover so you don't lose it.
Remove the screws on the top and bottom of the receptacle. Grab the receptacle by the yoke, the metal flanges at the top and bottom, and pull it slightly out of the outlet box. Pull it out just enough so you can remove the wires and screws from it sides.
With a screwdriver, remove the wires from the brass colored screws and push them aside. These will "normally" be black wires, but I've seen different. Then do the same to the white wires on the silver screws. In both cases it is not necessary to remove the screws to disconnect the wires, just loosen them buy turning the screwdriver in a counterclockwise direction and disconnecting the wires to them.
Now remove the ground wire from the receptacle grounding screw. This is usually a single bare or green wire to a single screw at the bottom of the receptacle. Now that you have safely and successfully removed the old receptacle, throw it out so that you don't get it confused with another one.
Start attaching the new receptacle by reversing the order in which you detached the old one. Connect the ground wire to the green grounding screw by hooking the end of the wire over the screw terminal and turning the screw clockwise. Continue the process by connecting the white wires to the silver screws and the black wires to the bronze or brass screw terminals.
Note: If you are working on a receptacle connected to a switch, then arrange the wires so that the black wire from one cable is aligned with the white from the same cable, both on the bottom or top screws.
Electricians Tip: Once you turn the power back on you can provide some protection from the live screw terminal by placing some black electrical tape over the screwheads and connections before placing the receptacle back in the box.
Now you are ready to put the receptacle back in the box; start by pre-bending the wires in a "Z" or accordion fashion and then using your fingers, carefully push them back into the box with the receptacle following next. Once the receptacle is neatly in place, tighten the screws at the top and bottom of the box securing the receptacle. Notice that as you tighten the screws clockwise you should be able to shift the receptacle to the right or left. This will help you plumb and center the receptacle.
Congratulations, you are now ready to attach the receptacle cover and turn the power back on. You may want to check your wiring with a plug-in tester or meter.
By: Lisa Alexander
Certified Eco Broker®
