I'm back; breaking pledge -- electric problem...sosumi

It depends on how many wires are in the existing outlet house. BTW, need to measure the box dimensions as my 1960s era house has smaller boxes that the new fangled outlets won't mount.

Electrically, you need:

• White - typically neutral (less bad to touch if hot)
• Black - one of two HOT lines, the ones that tend to be dangerous
• Green - the safety ground

Does the existing outlet have just two plug or two plugs and a ground pin (i.e., 3 prong.) You may be lucky IF the old socket has the ground plug.

Start with the Wiki technical description: NEMA connector - Wikipedia

The NEMA 1 section has the technical detail. I don't cut-and-paste technical detail but refer you to that section.​

I recommend sharing a photo of the existing outlet. Then with the power off that circuit, remove the outlet and take a photo of the wires inside. Include the dimensions of the outlet box as the replacement has to fit inside OR you'll have to replace the box which can be a challenge. Then put the socket back in and screw in the box cover:

I have a ground fault outlet that won't fit in the wall outlet box.

Certainly share the photos with us but you'll really need them at your hardware store. Try to chat with 'the old guy' not the 'my first job clerk.' Measure the width of the socket to make sure it will fit in the box.

There are several 'pre-code' ways to wire in a socket. The video shows one that is "less bad" but the really ugly ones have the power line come in, stripped in the middle and out. That is why photos of the existing one let's us know what you are dealing with.

I get the impression that the outlet is not where you would want it to be 'over the sink.' A more difficult but satisfying job might be to plan where you want the new outlet to be and then use the old outlet as a covered junction box to a lateral feed to the next box. Perhaps a double-box with four 120 VAC outlets.

This is not rocket science except for the first one you do. <GRINS>

Bob Wilson

ps. Old school, I use a VOM instead of those fancy ($) outlet testers. The VOM can test other things like batteries and car circuits.

pps. A quick hack, you might put a small bend in the curling iron prongs to get a better electrical fit. IF SO, first use make sure the plug does not get hot. You're bending the plugs to more firmly meet the worn electrodes in the socket. They are too weak and will only come back to cause grief in the future. Fix it right so you'll not have to worry about it again,

​

 

+1 to the above, except for the VOM, which is vastly more useful but comes with a small learning curve and a non-trivial chance of getting false readings from a dead short between the operator and the circuit under test.
I recommend getting a Klein (or equivalent) from the big box store rather than the $5 one from HF.

They're a decent quality unit as Kleins tend to be and they can specifically test GFCI outlets for function.
Also, consider using WAYGO (real ones - not the ones from HF) lever nuts instead of the twisty wire nuts, especially if you're dexterity challenged.

Yes.
I know.
The old-school (1914) twist-on wire connectors are "better" in that they can provide a superior connection if they are properly installed.
HOWEVER (comma!!!!!)
Like Bob's VOM, if wire nuts are not used properly they're much MUCH worse....AND (!!) there is a nearly 100 year old debate on exactly HOW 'wire nutz' SHOULD be installed!!!

 

GFI don't last very long these days... Expect to replace them every decade or so.

 

Good job replacing outlets with GFCI but have you seen these that, also, have handy USB outlets built into them? I replaced a couple of GFCI outlets in my kitchen with them...very handy for charging stuff. This one has both USB-A and USB-C. (Mine only have USB-A....time to upgrade??)

 

Most GFCI has stranded wire connections. This is one of the few cases where I recommend tinning the wires, so it behaves like a solid wire. I've seen people use wire nuts that push the individual wire strands down - triggering the GFCI and heating up the wires. It all goes back to "properly installed".

Just my 2 cents.....

 

The wires coming into the box from the house will typically have white insulation, black insulation, and no insulation (bare copper) for the equipment grounding conductor.

If the house is old enough, there might be only a white and a black coming into the box, and no equipment grounding conductor. In that case, the NEC still allows you to put a GFCI there, just leaving its grounding terminal unconnected. You then have to apply a label that says NO EQUIPMENT GROUND. You'll probably find some labels like that inside the box the GFCI comes in (along with some other labels saying "GFCI protected outlet"—if you have other outlets chained downstream from the one you're replacing, you can use those labels for those after chaining them from the load-side terminals of the GFCI you install). So be careful, when unboxing, that those little labels don't fly out and get lost.

The way the GFCI does its job is clever enough it doesn't need a grounding conductor to function. It doesn't have to detect that current coming and going on the white and black might be leaking to ground somewhere—it only needs to detect that the currents coming and going on white and black aren't equal, which tells it the same thing.

 

My house is old and I put a dual function afci gfci breaker in the newer subpanel circuit that goes to the bathroom and bedroom and lights. That way I could keep standard outlets and protect more than only the bathroom. The outlets are not grounded. Not sure if afci works without looking it up, but gfci does.

 

New product alert from Leviton -- (click on the lever edge link below)

Lever Edge

Basically they have the WAGO-type connection ETC(SS) mentioned, built-in.

The devices are designed with innovative installation features such as color-coded lever terminals for faster, efficient wiring; a larger strap with a unique tongue and groove alignment for quicker trim-out on multi-gang installations, and no exposed metal parts for safety. Lever Edge is the future of wiring.

I have not tried them yet. But I will on my next job. Seems like it would be handy. Seems the lever edge and the "standard" GFCI are about the same price -- at least from an admittedly quick look-see I took on the Ace Hardware site. I may be wrong. The site was giving me trouble.

Anyway, ignore code and live dangerously (?) and replace with a standard non-GFCI and you can get by about $20-some cheaper.
Of course, no one should ignore code.

Note, my electrical skills are minimal. My wife still "lets me" do electric work as long as it does not involve wire nuts. Just because 20 years ago I was replacing a part in the clothes dryer (some high electrical load thing that makes the heat) and did not tighten the wire nut properly. Started a small fire. Hey, I caught it immediately and no harm done -- or not much...

She did not complain last week when I saved us some $400USD by replacing the starter battery in her car myself.

 

LoL; those electric dryers catch fire anyways. I had to do my mom & dad's because it took several hours to dry clothes. Ripped it apart and found packed lint surrounding the heating coil. Surprised it didn't catch fire; so I guess the on-off timing circuit was working. Cleaned it out and clothes was dry in 20 minutes. It was a very old Kenmore that I had to replaced the drum belt twice.