| Replacing Outlets |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-411 |
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Q: A repairman recently told me the outlets in my kitchen weren't "up to code." How do I remedy this? A: (from James Young, Ask DIY Electrical expert) Building codes after 1993 require GFCI -- ground fault circuit interruption -- outlets within 6' of all wet locations such as kitchens or bathrooms. Residences built before 1993 may not have these outlets; fortunately, they're inexpensive and and easy to install.
Materials:
Medium-size flat-head screwdriver
Needle-nose pliers
Circuit tester
GFCI outlet
If the existing electrical box is too small to accommodate a GFCI outlet, or if the house wiring is aluminum instead of copper, you may need to hire a qualified electrician to do this job.
- Turn off the power at the circuit-breaker box. If the circuit breakers aren't labeled, you can locate the proper switch by plugging a radio into the outlet you plan to change. Turn off the switches until the radio goes off. Then place a piece of tape over the switch to make sure no one accidentally turns it back on while you're working on the outlet.
- Remove the outlet cover plate and the screws holding the outlet in place.
- Test the outlet with the circuit tester to be sure the power is off.
- Disconnect the wires from the outlet.
- Separate the wires from the box into two pairs. One set of wires will be the "line," or power supply. The other set will be the "load," which carries power to additional outlets on the same circuit. A GFCI outlet, properly installed, will protect all the outlets on the "load" side.
- Make sure the wires are completely separate from one another, then turn the power back on at the circuit-breaker box.
- Use the circuit tester to determine which set of wires carries the power.
- Turn the power back off.
- Connect the power-supply wires to the terminals marked "line" and the load wires to the terminals marked "load." Connect the white wires to the silver screws and the black wires to the brass or gold screws. The outlet may also indicate appropriate color connections.
- Connect the bare ground wire to the green screw.
- Put the outlet back into the box, screw it into place, and attach the cover plate.
- Turn the power back on at the circuit-breaker box.
- Plug the radio into the outlet.
- Press the black button on the outlet. If the radio turns off, the outlet is working.
- Press the red button on the outlet to reset it. The radio should come back on.
RESOURCES :
Professional Tips and Techniques for Tune-Up and Electrical Service
Model: 1879110156
Author: Michael Bishop and Dennis Holmes
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Do-It-Right Publishing
New Hall, CA 91322
Basic Wiring
Model: 1880029790
Author: Creative Homeowner Press (Editor)
Creative Homeowner Press, 1996
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