How to Hook Up a Grounded Outlet

Turn off the main circuit breaker inside the electrical panel. Check lights and appliances inside your home to make sure that there is no electricity flowing from the panel to the circuits inside your home.

Pull the black, white and green (sometimes bare) 110-volt wires out of the outlet box in your wall. Strip off 1/2 inch of insulation from the tip of the black and white wires with a wire stripper. Strip off six inches of insulation from the grounding wire (green) if it is insulated.

Loosen the terminal screws on the 110-volt outlet. If the outlet box is made of plastic, hook the bare grounding wire clockwise around the green terminal screw on the outlet. If the outlet box is made of metal, loop the bare grounding wire about six inches from its tip around the grounding screw on the metal outlet box, then hook the tip of the wire around the green grounding screw on the outlet. Tighten the grounding screws to secure each connection.

Hook the white (neutral) wire clockwise around the silver terminal screw on the outlet, then hook the black power wire clockwise around the brass terminal screw. Tighten each screw firmly and make sure there are no loose connections. Wrap electrical tape twice around the sides of the outlet to cover the exposed terminals.

Fold the wires in a zigzag manner and tuck all the wires into the outlet box. Mount the outlet onto the outlet box, using screws supplied with the outlet. Replace the outlet faceplate. Turn on the main circuit breaker, then plug an appliance into the 110-volt outlet to test the connection.