Fixing an electrical outlet should definitely not be your first foray into electrical problems, but the process is relatively safe when you take the proper precautions. The whole process only requires a few steps, so amongst the tasks an electrician, professional or otherwise, may undertake, it is relatively easy.

• The first thing you should do is to turn off the fuse to the area, to insure that you don’t get shocked.
• Once you’ve turned off the current to the outlet, the best thing to do next is begin testing the equipment to find what the problem is. Connecting directly to the wires and turning the fuse back on can show you where the problem is.
• If the problem proves to be with the outlet and not the wiring, replacing the outlet is pretty simple. Just reconnect the wires from their position in the old outlet into the new one.
• Once you’ve done this and screwed the new outlet back into place, all you need to do is test the new fittings on an appliance, which should give you an idea on whether or not your fix has worked.

As an added level of assistance, we recommend that you look at videos of an outlet being changed online, as that will give you a much clearer understanding of what you need to do.