Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [outlets]

points on the wiring system at which current is taken to supply utilization equipment.

An outlet can be any point along a wiring system where current is taken to supply equipment, though in residential electrical work will most commonly refer to a:

Lighting Outlet. An outlet intended for the direct connection of a lampholder or luminaire.
Receptacle Outlet. An outlet where one or more receptacles are installed.
or
Power Outlet. An enclosed assembly that may include receptacles, circuit breakers, fuseholders, fused switches, buses, and watt-hour meter mounting means; intended to supply and control power to mobile homes, recreational vehicles, park trailers, or boats or to serve as a means for distributing power required to operate mobile or temporarily installed equipment.

Outlet is sometimes used colloquially to refer to what is defined as a receptacle by the National Electrical Code (NEC).

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How can I fix electrical outlets that don't "hold" plugs that are plugged in to them?

In short, most of the outlets in my house have one working receptacle and one that any cord plugged in will immediately slip out of. Some of my outlets don't have any working receptacles (I hope I'm using the right terminology here). Is there any…
Chris Sobolewski
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When wiring outlets should I use pigtails or both sets of outlet screws?

I'm replacing the outlets in our house and pulled out one that had two black and two white cables. My first thought was that it was two circuits, one of them being switched, but then realized the tab between the two circuits wasn't broken. I hadn't…
DA01
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What's the standard height for an outlet?

I am installing outlets in my patio room. What is the standard height recommended above the ground for these to be installed?
KingKongFrog
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How do I properly wire GFCI outlets in parallel?

I have two countertop outlets in my kitchen that I am in the process of replacing with new, GFCI-protected outlets. These two outlets are on a circuit together, and they are the only loads on that circuit. After wiring the new outlets up and testing…
Drew Spickes
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Which Kitchen outlets do NOT need GFCI?

I have the 2 circuits in the kitchen with GFCI outlets, but I'm not quite sure which other ones do NOT need GFCI. Other circuits in the kitchen include Microwave, Fridge, and Dishwasher. It makes sense to me to not have the fridge on GFCI though.
rcav8r
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What is a GFI outlet used for, and where should I install them?

What purpose does a GFI serve? Where should they be used?
Chris Cudmore
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When to use holes instead of side terminals to wire an outlet

This question comes from Shirlock's comment on this GFCI wiring question. When and why should you use the holes on the back of an outlet rather than the side terminals? I always assumed the holes on the back were only for lazy electricians and…
BMitch
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How many wires is too many for an outlet?

I keep finding outlets in my house that are wired in ways I've never seen. Today's find is an outlet in a bedroom with 4 hots and 4 neutrals. All connected to one outlet using the push-in connectors. It's not a switched outlet, so all one…
DA01
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What to do with an apartment with only 2-pronged outlets

I just rented an apartment (Colorado, for what it's worth RE code) that has 2-pronged outlets throughout the place except for two GFCI's, one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen. I bought the $.30 2->3 adapter and screwed that extension piece of…
Alex Mcp
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Is there a minimum, NEC-compliant distance that an electrical outlet can be off the floor in my home?

If I am able to lower an electrical box by a few inches, I will have enough wire to avoid having to use a junction box to splice a nick I made in the insulation of the neutral wire. It's only a three-foot wall section and will be the only…
oscilatingcretin
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Is there an average number of outlets that are wired off of one circuit breaker?

I recently demolished my basement to start a reconstruction/improvement project. My first horror was the electrical layout. I've got hidden junctions, mismatched wire sizes, improper junctions and quite possibly mixed wire types (copper and…
user45
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What kind of electrical outlet is this, and how do I replace it?

I have an electrical outlet which hasn't been reliable (the bottom one doesn't always have power unless you jiggle the plug), so I want to change it. I've changed a few plain outlets, but I found something new (to me!) when I went to remove it: The…
MPelletier
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How can I test network and coax jacks?

We bought new house and I need to test network (RJ45) and coax jacks to see which ones are working. How can I do that without actually connecting computers/cable boxes?
sergeb
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Can I replace my ungrounded / two prong outlets, or should I have a professional do this type of a thing?

They're all two prong except a select few in the kitchen. Is this a project I could take on with NO electrical experience other than minor soldering, or is this something I should not attempt? Question two (should I make a new "Question"?): How…
Matt
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How is it that two breaker switches control the same things?

Forewarning: I don't know that much about electrical terms, so please excuse any mistakes I've possibly made. I recently moved the TV in my living room and ran a new line for the electricity to the TV. In doing so, I discovered that I had to turn…
Jeremy White
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