Outlet Replacement and GFCI Outlets in Phoenix

Loose, worn, warm and scorched outlets

An outlet grips a plug with spring contacts inside, and after years of use the springs weaken. Plugs fall out, lamps flicker when you bump the cord, and the loose contact heats up. An outlet that's discolored, cracked, or warm to the touch is past that point and should come out now. We replace it with a new one, check the wires behind it, and tighten the box if it's loose in the wall.

Outlets in older Phoenix homes are often wired with the push-in connections on the back of the outlet, which loosen over time. The new outlet gets wired on the screw terminals so it stays tight.

GFCI outlets: the ones with the buttons

A GFCI outlet watches for current leaking somewhere it shouldn't, like through water or a person, and shuts off in a fraction of a second. Code requires them in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, laundry rooms, outdoors and anywhere near a sink. One GFCI can protect several ordinary outlets wired after it, so a dead bathroom outlet is often tripped by a GFCI in another bathroom, the garage or outside.

Many older homes have no GFCI protection in those spots. Swapping the first outlet on the circuit for a GFCI protects every outlet after it, no new wiring needed. A GFCI that won't reset, or trips as soon as it's reset, has either failed or is doing its job on something faulty, and that's a troubleshooting visit.

Two-prong outlets

Houses from the 1950s and '60s often have two-prong outlets with no ground. Swapping in a three-prong outlet without a ground wire looks right but isn't. The accepted fix without rewiring is a GFCI outlet marked "no equipment ground," which gives shock protection even without a ground. Running a ground wire is rewiring, and we can help with that too.

USB outlets, tamper-resistant outlets and more

A USB outlet has standard plugs plus USB ports built in, so the charger brick stays in the drawer. They go in anywhere a standard outlet does, by the bed, at the kitchen desk, on the nightstand side. Tamper-resistant outlets have shutters that block anything but a plug, and they're what code requires for new outlets in homes now. Outdoor outlets get a GFCI and a bubble cover that stays closed over the cord.

Adding an outlet

Replacing an outlet is a repair. Adding one is new electrical, and Phoenix and Glendale both treat it as permit work. A new outlet fed from an existing one on the same wall is a small job, and we'll tell you up front whether your city needs a permit for it. We can also help with a new circuit for a big load, like a garage freezer or an EV charger.

Problems we fix on this page

• Kitchen GFCI won't reset
• Outlet loose in the wall
• Want USB outlets in the kitchen
• Outlet cover cracked
• Bathroom GFCI won't reset
• Vanity light fixture flickering
• Want a new vanity light
• Light switch cover cracked
• Want a night light in the outlet
• Dryer cord doesn't fit the outlet (3 vs 4 prong)
• Dryer outlet loose or burnt
• Garage GFCI won't reset
• Garage lights flickering
• Want brighter garage lights
• Want LED shop lights
• Plug falls out of the outlet
• Outlet discolored or scorched
• Outlet warm to the touch
• Sparks when plugging in
• GFCI won't reset
• GFCI keeps tripping
• Want GFCI outlets where they're required
• Want USB outlets
• Want outlets with child safety covers
• Want an outlet moved up or down a little on the same circuit
• Burning smell from an outlet
• Fishy smell near an outlet (overheating)
• Outdoor outlet covers cracked from the sun
• Outlet with built-in night light
• Pop-up countertop outlet stuck
• Floor outlet cover broken
• Outlet in the bathroom with no GFCI
• Can I replace a GFCI outlet myself
• Outlet sparking or smoking
• Tamper-resistant outlets hard to plug into

How it starts

Send a photo of the outlet and tell us what it's doing. Dead, loose, scorched, tripping, or just old. If several outlets are dead at once, say which rooms. You'll have a fixed price before anyone shows up. Levi does the work himself.