Work Safely

• Electricity is dangerous. Make sure power is disabled to the outlet before starting any electrical work. Always verify the power is off using a voltmeter, outlet tester or a small electrical device. With a GFI outlet, make sure it is not tripped when testing for power by pressing the reset button.
  
  

Know Your Wires

• GFI outlets must be wired correctly to function properly. When more than one set of wires are present, the wire sets need to be identified. Line wires are the wires providing current to the outlet from the main electrical panel. Load wires feed additional outlets on the circuit. The individual wires in each set have a specific purpose: the black wires are your hots, the white wires are your neutrals and the bare copper wires are your grounds.
  
  

Know Your Outlet

• Check the back of your outlet for labels. Make sure that the line wire set is connected to the line terminals. The terminals traditionally use colored screws to identify their purpose: brass screws are for the hots, silver screws are for the neutrals and the single green screw is for the ground.