New Outlets Deliver Shocking Results!

No, I didn't zap myself but it's shocking what a difference this simple update makes. Before I did anything else, I decided to update the light switch, outlets and covers in the room. The originals were brown or black and the outlets didn't have a hole for grounded plugs. The outlet covers were painted over which sealed them to the wall. I had to get a screwdriver behind it and pry it off.

When I tried to pry the next cover off, it broke the outlet completely.

The light switch was an old mercury type and the light switch cover...well, grandma got her hands on that one.

The black switch just looks like a dark hole in the middle of the cover.

I grabbed a pair of pliers, Phillips and flat head screwdrivers, and borrowed a Receptacle Tester from dad (which is a great tool to add to your electrical arsenal. I plan to get one of my own.) I picked up 4 new outlets and a new switch at Lowes. I also grabbed a box of 50 Grounding Pigtails at Home Depot for $16 (enough to do the whole house.) . Once I had all my supplies and I shut the power off, I was able to get down to business. Keep in mind I'm not an electrician but a home wiring guide from Home Depot is a good thing to pick up and read to get a basic understanding before doing anything around your home.

Replacing basic outlets and switches is relatively easy. First MAKE SURE THE POWER IS OFF! Then, take off the cover and remove the 2 screws holding the receptacle to the electrical box inside the wall. Pull it out of the wall to expose the wires attached to the receptacle. Remember that the white wire always goes to the silver screw and the black wire goes to the brass screw. Black to Brass will save your ass! It was easy to pop them off the old outlets by unscrewing the brass and silver screws and putting them onto the new ones. Since the new outlets have the ground prong hole, they needed to be grounded properly. The grounding pigtail goes to the green screw on the outlet and the other end of the pigtail gets screwed into one of the holes in the back of the electrical box in the wall. The box is already grounded so this just connects the outlet to the box to ground it. It's important to remember to wrap the wire clockwise around the screw so when you tighten it, it doesn't end up pushing the wire off the screw. When the outlet is rewired and screwed back into the wall, plug the receptacle tester into the outlet and then turn the power back on. The tester will tell you if you have wired your outlet properly by displaying pairs of lights. Match the lights with the guide on the tester. If something isn't correct, it will tell you how to correct it. Obviously Grandpa didn't have a receptacle tester because the only outlet he updated in this room since the house was built (for the air conditioner) gave me error lights. I fixed that one while I was at it.

Once everything was all finished, I put new covers on. I picked these up at Lowes when I got the outlets and switch.

Again, unsure why Blogger keeps graying these out, but they are white.

I'm so happy with how these look. I know they're just outlets and a switch and they'll all be behind the furniture but it makes the room look so refreshed and updated.

A great, inexpensive way to update a room!