This procedure is a simple process that requires only afew tools. these include a multimeter, needlenose pliers and a thin blade screwdriver and possibly a sharp knife if there is a lot of paint on the edge of the receptacle cover.

First remove the cover plate screw and pull the cover plate off. Remove the screws from each end of the receptacle and gently pull the receptacle from the box by grasping the receptacle at the ends where the screws were.

Again, make sure that the power is off before disconnecting the wires from the receptacle. First, see if the breaker panel is properly marked. Shut off the correct breaker. If the panel is not marked, you can shut off all the 120volt breakers ( the narrow breakers with only one terminal). then set the multimeter on the 250 vac scale and touch 1 lead to the ground lead (the bare wire) and the other lead to the black wire connection and then to the white wire connection.
You should not show a voltage on either test. If you show about 120 volts, go back and recheck the breakers to make sure you have power off at the receptacle. When the test shows 0 volts, you can remove the wires from the receptacle.

Note: the receptacle may have 2 sets of wires on all connections. If it does be sure to get them all reconnected properly or you may have another receptacle not working.

The black wire goes on the gold colored screw and the white wire goes on the silver screw. The ground wire (bare wire) goes on the green screw.

After all the wires are connected, reinstall the receptacle and replace the cover plate. then turn on the breaker and use the multimeter to see if you have 120 volts – depending on your location, the multimeter will show between 110volts and 130 volts and that is OK.

ShareThis