The Family Handyman – August 2019

FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM JULY/AUGUST 2019 67

MISTAKE :

Poor support

for outlets

and switches

Loose switches or outlets look bad
(photo right); worse, they’re dan-
gerous. Loosely connected outlets
move around, causing the wires to
loosen from the terminals. Loose
wires can arc and overheat, creat-
ing a potential fire hazard.

THE RIGHT WAY:

ADD PLASTIC SPACERS
Fix loose outlets by shimming
under the screws to create a tight
connection to the box. You can buy
spacers like the ones shown below
at home centers and hardware
stores. Small washers or a coil of
wire wrapped around the screw
work as well.

MISTAKE:

Reversing hot

and neutral wires

Connecting the black (hot) wire to

the neutral terminal of an outlet

creates the potential for a lethal

shock. Unfortunately, you may not

realize the mistake until someone

gets shocked, because lights and

most other plug-in devices will still

work; they just won’t work safely.

THE RIGHT WAY:

IDENTIFY THE

NEUTRAL TERMINAL

Connect the white wire to the neu-

tral terminal of outlets and light fix-

tures. The neutral terminal is always

marked, and usually has silver- or

light-colored screws. Connect the

hot wire to the other terminal. If

there’s a green or bare copper

wire, that’s the ground. Connect

the ground to the green grounding

screw or to a ground wire or

grounded box.

Recessed

loose

outlet

Plastic

spacer

Plastic spacers

Hot to

brass

Neutral

to silver