Most of us homeowners would not mind a couple of ugly things in and around the house. A perfect example would be an old and unused electrical outlet or two. You can easily brush them off. Or maybe you also have the option to cover them up with a piece of furniture? Perhaps cover it with a couch or a side table to eliminate the eyesore.
Behold the unused electrical outlet. It appears as an avant-garde art statement in the corner of one of your walls. Take a look at that flawed socket. Admire that broken component that casts a stark contrast to the rest of the wall.
But in all honesty, you have the power to do something about it. You have what it takes to give life back to an old electrical outlet or two. There is the option to repair it to make it work once more. Of course, you do not need to do so. Who knows? An individual or two might want to have such an art installation or statement in their home.
You do not have to be terrified about replacing an old electrical outlet. It is practical, and anyone can do it. Let us check out how.
But first thing’s first. You must make sure the work area is safe at all times when you work on an outlet. In addition, keep away any distractions that might affect your work. You should also have the appropriate gear and tools to handle the job.
It also pays off to prepare the necessary materials for the job. That includes gloves, the brand-new outlet, and wires. Don’t forget your standard repair tools as well. Have a wire cutter, wire stripper, scissors, and a screwdriver at the ready.
Another thing is that you have to see to it that children and pets cannot access anything as you work on an outlet. They might injure themselves while messing around with tools and small parts.
Where do you get new electrical outlets? Well, that is quite a question. All you have to do is visit your local electrical outlet. Such a shop will have all your electrical needs.
But what if you do not want to go outside due to the pandemic? Well, there is still an option. You can look online for a new outlet. There is no shortage of websites, including Electrical Wholesalers Inc.New England that offers all kinds of electrical supplies and products. The company will deliver the product straight to your doorstep. So there is no need for you to head out at all. Now that saves time and money indeed.
Here are the steps to efficiently and safely repair an outlet.
- Shut the primary power off.
You cannot work on an electrical outlet without turning of the property’s power. What you can do is cut the breaker for the entire house. Do this action if you have no idea what fuse or breaker powers what in the place. That is one additional point of playing it safe. Do not be like one of those gung-ho individuals who work on house repairs without keeping track of safety.
2. Remove the faceplate.
The next step is to remove the outlet’s faceplate. Yes, it is the part that sticks out on a wall’s surface. This part is relatively easy. All you need is an electric screwdriver or a hand-held one to remove the component.
3. Remove the outlet from the box.
You can do this part by getting rid of any visible screws that connect the electrical outlet to the wall box. You can now pull the outlet away after removing the screws. As a side note, make sure that you put the screws in a small container. You need all of them to go back to the outlet later. Place them in a container that is easily accessible. Also, keep them far from children’s reach.
4. Look for broken and damaged wires.
It is paramount that you identify all the wires that require repair. Do not worry, for you can locate them easily. Once you do, it would be best to eliminate them immediately. Carefully remove the wire or two from the outlet and throw them in a bin.
5. It’s time for the grounding wire.
Now this aspect is where it gets a bit scary. You will have to deal with the grounding wire. It is a wire that has a green tint. If not, it will be nothing but a bare copper wire. It can either be one of the two. What you have to do is connect the grounding wire to the box. You will also have to ground it to the outlet. A box has a grounding screw where the wire will connect.
6. Replace the wires with new ones.
The next step is to finish by replacing the old and damaged wires with new ones. In addition, you have to make sure there is a connector. A connector will guarantee that there is no wire that will rub the box’s sharp edges. Carefully attach the new wires to the outlet. After that, you can now return the newly-repaired outlet back into the box.
7. Screw the outlet face back.
Do not worry, for you are almost through with the task. So better screw the outlet back onto the box. After that, you can now re-attach the outlet face. And presto, you are done! You can now put the power back on and see if the new outlet works.
However, it might not always be a DIY that works. There might be a time where you have to do something else than fix an old outlet. Perhaps you might have to run a business. Or maybe you need to go to work. That’s okay. What you can do is look for a company that specializes in home electrical repairs. Getting a professional company to work on your outlet will cost some money. However, you cannot argue with the results they deliver. They will work with precision, care, and efficiency. You might not even notice that they finish the job in a short amount of time. So if you cannot handle an old or damaged outlet yourself, it would be high time to get the pros to do the job. That way, you can still focus on other things.