- 1). Turn off the power to the electrical receptacle you plan to change. This is done at the main circuit breaker. Turn off the main breaker if you are unsure which switch controls the room where the receptacle is located.
- 2). Plug in a lamp or or other device in working condition to verify that the power to the outlet is off.
- 3). Use a screwdriver to remove the mounting screw that holds the receptacle faceplate in place. Remove the top and bottom mounting screws and pull the three prong receptacle out to the limit of the wires attached to the wall.
- 4). Unscrew the wires from the three prong receptacle. Most receptacles have a black wire, a white wire and a bare copper or green wire attached.
- 5). Remove the green screw that held the bare copper or green wire from the receptacle. This is the ground screw.
- 6). Insert the ground screw into the grounding hole inside the metal junction box located inside the wall. Leave some of the threads exposed.
- 7). Bend the copper or green wire back into the outlet box until it reaches the grounding screw. Use the wire strippers to trim the wire so that it has enough length to reach the grounding screw plus 1/2 an inch. If you have a green wire, use the wire strippers to remove 1/2 an inch of insulation to expose the copper wire inside.
- 8). Use the pliers to bend 1/2 inch of exposed copper wire into a right handed hook. Loop the hook onto the grounding screw and tighten the screw to secure the wire.
- 9). Loop the white wire hook onto the silver or top screw of the new two prong receptacle. Tighten the screw in place. Repeat this process with the black wire and the bottom screw.
- 10
Push the two prong receptacle into the junction box and line up the holes for the mounting screws. Use the flashlight to verify that the ground wire connected to the grounding screw is not touching any other wires. - 11
Insert the top and bottom mounting screws and tighten them. Put the receptacle faceplate on and tighten the center mounting screw. - 12
Turn on the electricity at the main breaker. Plug in a working appliance or similar device to test the outlet.
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