How to Troubleshoot a Wall Plug

Wall plugs for household appliances operate on a 120-volt circuit in North America. Electrical outlets may eventually wear out and require replacement, but troubleshooting the outlet first to verify it has gone bad is a good investment of your time. There's little point to replacing a wall plug if there is some other electrical problem preventing the old outlet from working. Follow all safety procedures when working with high-voltage circuits.

Small appliance
Screwdrivers
Multimeter

Instructions

- 1
  Turn the circuit breaker for the wall plug to the "On" position.
- 2
  Connect a working appliance, such as an alarm clock, to the wall outlet. Test both sockets in the outlet to determine power is reaching the appliance. If the appliance does not work, keep troubleshooting.
- 3
  Shut off power to the wall plug at the circuit breaker.
- 4
  Take out the screw in the faceplate over the outlet and set aside. Remove the two screws securing the outlet to the metal electrical box inside the wall.
- 5
  Pull the outlet gently from the electrical box to locate the two wires attached to the side of the component with a pair of screws.
- 6
  Set the multimeter to test for voltage and clip the two probes on the device to the screws on the side of the outlet.
- 7
  Turn on the circuit breaker, but do not touch the wall socket. Check the reading on the multimeter. If it registers around 120 volts, continue troubleshooting. Some fluctuation in the voltage reading is normal.
- 8
  Loosen the screws in the side of the socket to remove the two wires. Make a note of which wire is connected to which screw.
- 9
  Set the multimeter to test for ohms and clip the two probes to the screws on the side of the socket. If the multimeter registers zero or the numbers on the display run up continuously, the wall plug is bad and must be replaced.

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