Do-It-Yourself Repairs & Basic Wiring Projects:
Wiring a Receptacle (15Amps 120Volts)

By Terry Peterman, the Internet Electrician

The 120v/15 amp receptacle is the most widely used device in your home. 

This is your standard run-of-the-mill receptacle that powers everything from your toaster to your TV.  Here's how to wire them...

Fig. 1 - The most important part of the job is grounding!!!   Always, always, always, connect the uninsulated ground wire(s) to the device box ground screw(s).  Leave one of the wires long enough to go to the green screw on the receptacle.

Fig. 2 - The black or "hot" wire goes directly under the brass screw. The white or neutral wire goes directly under the silver screw on the plug.

Our sample receptacle has two cables entering the device box.

In your home 90% of the receptacles will have at least two cables entering the same box. The second cable is usually feeding another receptacle, however, it could also be coming from a light or switch.

If you have only one cable entering the device box, tighten the unused screws to avoid them coming in contact with the metal box when installing it in place.

As you probably already know, there are many other types of receptacles that you can use around the house.  We cover these different types and their applications in our 'Receptacles 101' article.  Click here to read it.